Check out our other previews: Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H | Group I | Group J | Group K
England
Best result: champion, 15 appearances, fourth place in the world ranking
The Three Lions arrive in North America looking to win the second World Cup in their history, 60 years on from their first and only triumph in 1966.
England have qualified for every event since 1998, but haven’t gone beyond the quarter-finals during that time period. Currently sat fourth in the world rankings, they will be looking to go further this time.
Path to the finals
England enjoyed an unbeaten qualifying campaign, winning every match without conceding a single goal.
Huge 5-0 wins came against Serbia and Latvia, which will give Thomas Tuchel’s players confidence heading into the big event - although, they faced some hurdles in the March international break with a 1-1 draw against Uruguay and a 1-0 defeat to Japan.
Key player
It won’t come as a surprise that England’s key - and best - player, Harry Kane, will be integral to their chances at the World Cup.
The striker is the Three Lions’ record goalscorer and has netted 79 times in his international career. Despite nearing 33, Kane has shown no sign of slowing down in his latter years.
He has hit 61 goals in all club competitions this season and will be aiming to carry that form with him to North America.
Editor’s view
England had steady progression under Gareth Southgate before the manager decided to step down, and his replacement Tuchel has largely been a success in qualifiers and friendlies.
His recent squad selection garnered a bit of criticism, more so for the players left out rather than those he decided to bring.
The Three Lions’ starting XI, however, remains one of the strongest in the competition. Stars like Kane, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka will be the key threats and newcomers Nico O’Reilly and Elliot Anderson will add plenty of balance to the side.
A slight worry comes when looking to the bench, which will be missing game-changers like Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White.
Flashscore prediction
The Three Lions have a strong squad and an excellent goalscorer in Kane. If their defence can hold up, a long run in the competition is possible before likely coming undone at the hands of one of the other top nations. The semi-finals looks like a realistic outcome.
Fixtures
17 June, 22:00 CET: England v Croatia - AT&T Stadium, Texas
23 June, 22:00 CET: England v Ghana - Gillette Stadium, Massachusetts
27 June, 23:00 CET: Panama v England - MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
Croatia
Best result: second place, six appearances, 11th in the world rankings
Croatia only gained admission to FIFA in 1992 and, of the six times since then that they’ve qualified for the World Cup, have registered a podium finish on three occasions.
The Vatreni famously finished second at the 2018 World Cup and managed a third-place finish last time out in 2022. Croatia knocked out England in the 2018 semi-finals, and will meet them again in Group L this time around. They currently sit 11th in FIFA’s world rankings.
Path to the finals
Managed by Zlatko Dalic, Croatia made it through qualifying without defeat, winning seven of their eight matches and drawing one. Their goalscoring form was the major highlight, with the biggest wins coming against Gibraltar (7-0), the Czech Republic (5-1) and Montenegro (4-0).
The Croatians comfortably topped their group and scored 26 goals in the process; more than France, Spain, Portugal and England, and the third-most across all European qualifying.
Key player
Luka Modric has been the anchor in Croatia’s midfield for over a decade now and, despite turning 40 this season, remains one of the top midfielders in the world.
He has been in superb form since joining AC Milan last summer, averaging a 7.4 Flashscore rating over the Serie A season. Modric will be crucial to Croatia’s chances of success at the World Cup.
Editor’s view
Croatia have undergone a changing of the guard since their successes at the last two World Cups, with some of their top stars either retiring from international football or falling down the pecking order in the national team’s squad.
Their midfield featured prominent names over the years like Marcelo Brozovic, Ivan Rakitic and Ballon d’Or winner Modric - but of those, only a 40-year-old Modric remains in the latest side. His experience will be key, as will the goals of Andrej Kramaric and Ante Budimir.
The two forwards totalled 45 goal involvements between them in club competitions this season. It will be interesting to see how the Vatreni do in North America this summer.
Flashscore prediction
Dalic’s side should have enough to get through the group stage in at least second place, with a decent shot at topping the group, but if not, then it will likely be one of the best third-placed nations.
Knockout football is trickier, but they have game-changers in their squad that can be a big help. With a bit of momentum and a solid group finish, the quarter-finals seem like a strong bet for Croatia.
Fixtures
17 June, 22:00 CET: England v Croatia - AT&T Stadium, Texas
24 June, 01:00 CET: Panama v Croatia - BMO Field, Toronto
27 June, 23:00 CET: Croatia v Ghana - Lincoln Field Stadium, Pennsylvania
Ghana
Best result: quarter-finals, four appearances, 71st in the world rankings
Ghana are set to make their fifth FIFA World Cup appearance this summer, with their four prior showings coming in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2022.
Supporters will best remember their exploits in South Africa 2010; the Black Stars went all the way to the quarter-finals with Asamoah Gyan the driving force in their attack.
Ghana’s next two attempts saw them fall in the group stages - but an expanded tournament will give them confidence this time around. They currently sit 74th in the FIFA rankings, the lowest of any African nation at the 2026 World Cup.
Path to the finals
Despite missing out on the 2025/26 Africa Cup of Nations, following a bottom-placed finish in qualifying, Ghana stormed their way through World Cup qualification with five wins and one draw, conceding just once in the process.
Jordan Ayew starred en route to the finals, bagging seven goals and seven assists as by far Ghana's most effective attacker.
Their friendlies since qualification haven’t quite gone to plan, losing all five of their match-ups and netting just two goals.
Key player
Antoine Semenyo has hit a new level of quality over the last year and his superb form at Bournemouth earned him a move to Premier League giants Manchester City.
Over the 2025/26 season, the winger bagged 27 goal contributions and is heading to the World Cup with huge momentum behind him.
Semenyo’s performances for Ghana are questionable, with just three goals in 34 games, but his standards have grown exponentially over the past year and he will be key in North America.
Editor’s view
Ghana’s situation is an interesting one, given that historically they are a good side that have had - and still have - some top players.
Yet their AFCON disaster and poor form since qualifying for the World Cup leaves some uncertainty over how they will perform in North America.
The Black Stars do have some top performers in the squad for the summer - namely Antoine Semenyo, who just finished the Premier League season with 17 goals.
His performances will be crucial, as will those of Inaki Williams and Ayew, despite the latter’s struggles in club football this year. Questions remain over the quality of their defence and goalkeeper, which could be their undoing this summer.
Flashscore prediction
Ghana are a tricky one to predict and they have some difficult group stage fixtures against England and Croatia. While a second-placed finish could be the goal, they will take confidence in their abilities to be one of the eight best third-placed teams and Semenyo’s goals could fire them to that.
They would likely need an upset if they reached the round of 32, which might be a step too far for Carlos Queiroz’s team.
Fixtures
18 June, 01:00 CET- Ghana v Panama - BMO Field, Toronto
23 June, 22:00 CET: England v Ghana - Gillette Stadium, Massachusetts
27 June, 23:00 CET: Croatia v Ghana - Lincoln Field Stadium, Pennsylvania
Panama
Best result: group stage, one appearance, 34th in the world rankings
Panama are preparing for just their second-ever appearance at the World Cup. Their only other entry to the tournament came in 2018, when they were also drawn into a group with England.
Panama were not successful last time out and finished bottom with three defeats, scoring just twice and conceding 11 goals; they will be aiming for an improvement this time around.
Their side has grown in the eight years since they last took to the world stage, with Panama currently sat 34th in FIFA’s world rankings.
Path to the finals
Panama will come into the 2026 World Cup full of confidence after completing the gruelling two-stage North and Central America qualification process without losing a single game.
They topped their first group with four wins from four matches and continued that strong run by winning the second group as well. Their international friendlies have also been productive, only narrowly losing to Mexico while drawing with and then beating South Africa across two fixtures.
Key player
Supporters might be unfamiliar with lots of Panama’s squad, but midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla is certainly a player to look out for.
The 27-year-old was named Player of the Tournament at the 2023 Gold Cup and has been impressive for Mexican club UNAM Pumas, acting as a vital link between defence and attack.
Editor’s view
Panama stormed through their qualifying campaign and showed some promising signs ahead of this summer’s showpiece event.
Being resilient enough to not lose a single game paints a good picture ahead of the World Cup and is a quality that will serve them well against tougher opposition in England, Croatia and Ghana.
There is a worry that the jump in quality will be too much for them, and it will certainly be tough, but Panama will look to the Ghana fixture in particular as a potential source of points.
There is an opening there for them to take advantage of Ghana’s struggles in 2026, which would have them well-placed to push to be one of the better third-placed nations.
Their squad features plenty of unknown quantities, but Jose Cordoba finished his season with Norwich very strongly and will be leaned on for some top-quality defensive performances.
Flashscore prediction
There will be some hope that Panama can push into the top three of the group and give qualifying for the round of 32 a really good go, but the difference in quality between themselves and the rest of Group L could prove to be too much. A group stage exit appears likely, unless they can edge out a win somewhere, with the clash against Ghana their best bet.
Fixtures
18 June, 01:00 CET - Ghana v Panama - BMO Field, Toronto
24 June, 01:00 CET: Panama v Croatia - BMO Field, Toronto
27 June, 23:00 CET: Panama v England - MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
The 2026 World Cup will be held from June 11th to July 19th in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The tournament will feature 48 national teams and will be played in 16 modern stadiums.
Match schedule and times | Group tables | Full squads for World Cup | How to watch the World Cup
