England World Cup 2026 draw as opponents confirmed with path to final emerging

England have learned their fate for the 2026 World Cup in North America with Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions drawn in Group L

England’s World Cup journey will kick off against Croatia, as the Three Lions aim to put an end to six decades of disappointment. The draw for the tournament groups was conducted in a lengthy and glamorous ceremony in Washington D.C. on Friday.

Following an impeccable qualification campaign, England now know their opponents for the World Cup, having been drawn into Group L. Their opening match will be against Croatia, with the game set to take place in either Toronto or Dallas.

The draw also pitted England against Panama, a team they faced in 2018, with Ghana completing the group. While the opponents are known, the exact locations of England’s matches are yet to be confirmed.

One certainty is that England won’t meet any of the other top seeds – Argentina or Spain – until at least the semi-finals, and France only in the final, provided all four teams top their respective groups.

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A secondary draw scheduled for Saturday will determine the venues for each match. England had initially hoped for Group J, which would have meant playing two games in Kansas City – the preferred location for the FA’s training base, reports the Mirror.

Thomas Tuchel’s squad has already secured a warm-up base and will utilise Inter Miami’s facilities in Florida, where they will also play two pre-World Cup matches. The FA must submit their chosen training base by January 10, 2026.

England’s quest to end their lengthy trophy drought, which dates back to their 1966 World Cup victory on home soil, continues. Their most recent campaigns saw them reach the quarter-finals in Qatar in 2022, where they were defeated by France, and the semi-finals in Russia four years prior.

Both of these tournaments were under the stewardship of Gareth Southgate, who stepped down following England’s loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final. Lee Carsley then took over as caretaker manager for a brief six-match stint before current boss Tuchel assumed the role.

The German has already expressed his ambition to bring an end to England’s long wait for silverware.

Ahead of Friday’s draw, the former Chelsea manager said: “Everyone knows that we cannot promise that we win it but they want to see a team, a team spirit, a team that gives everything and fights for each other.

“If the players bring that then I think anything is possible. We will be brave enough to dream about it, we will be brave enough to try it.

“I feel the change in expectation and a change in the feedback I get from fans and people who I meet because they like what they saw. Am I more confident now? Yes. Because we have got better. We have to arrive and try to make a special thing happen but we cannot guarantee it.”

Potential schedule for England, subject to final confirmation in the second draw on December 6:

Group L matches:

Croatia – June 17

Ghana – June 23

Panama – June 27

If England top the group:

Round of 32 – July 1

Round of 16 – July 5

Quarter-finals – July 11

Semi-final – July 15

Final – July 19

If England finish second:

Round of 32 – July 2

Round of 16 – July 6

Quarter-finals – July 10

Semi-final – July 14

Final – July 19

If England qualify as a third-placed team:

Round of 32 – July 3