England face Croatia first as Thomas Tuchel's World Cup 2026 group-stage schedule confirmed

England will begin their World Cup 2026 campaign against Croatia on Wednesday, June 17, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with kick-off set for 9pm BST. The fixture marks Thomas Tuchel’s first competitive match in charge of the Three Lions as they chase a first World Cup triumph since 1966.

England were drawn into Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana, and Panama. Their second group-stage fixture comes against Ghana on Tuesday, June 23, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts — again kicking off at 9pm BST. The final group game, against Panama, takes place on Saturday, June 27, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with a 10pm BST start.

Tuchel’s side head into the tournament with form to improve upon. England failed to win either of their March friendlies, drawing 1-1 with Uruguay and losing 1-0 to Japan. A final warm-up against New Zealand is scheduled for the Saturday before the tournament opener.

The Croatia clash carries particular weight given the history between the two sides. Croatia eliminated England at the 2018 World Cup semi-final stage in Russia, and the nations also met at Euro 2020, where England won their group opener 1-0 at Wembley. Tuchel will be aware that a strong start against a familiar opponent could set the tone for England’s entire tournament.

AT&T Stadium, which has a capacity of over 80,000 and can expand beyond 100,000 for major events, provides a fitting stage for one of the group stage’s most high-profile fixtures. Gillette Stadium and MetLife Stadium, both established NFL venues, will host England’s subsequent group matches across the northeastern United States.