Squad
England will face Croatia in their opening Group L match of the World Cup.
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Thomas Tuchel's squad experienced a tougher week than they would have liked off the pitch, but things are now looking up.
England are gearing up for their Group L opener versus Croatia at World Cup 2026, and have recently moved from Florida ahead of the fixture.
The Russia semi-final, where England fell 2-1, will be revisited for their 2026 tournament debut - but when and where does it take place?
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When and where is England's first match against Croatia at the World Cup 2026
England were robbed while traveling to Kansas City earlier this week, losing a substantial amount of gear before the matter was resolved.
Tuchel's side have set up their base in Missouri, where they will stay for at least the next three weeks, ahead of a Texas-based opening encounter against Croatia.
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England will play their opening Group L showdown in Arlington, Texas, at the Dallas Stadium - one of the competition's biggest venues.
The game is scheduled for Wednesday June 17, with a 9PM broadcast time for UK viewers.
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This event will be the second time the Three Lions have faced Croatia at the World Cup, and is largely a grudge match following England's 2018 semi-final loss to them.
Starting the World Cup strongly hasn't been too challenging for the Three Lions, as they have won four and drawn three of their last eight tournament openers.
The only defeat in that period came against Italy at the 2014 edition - a 2-1 loss where Daniel Sturridge initially put them ahead.
Regarding World Cup appearances, England hold a clear advantage over the Croatians, with 17 tournaments compared to their opponent's seven.
The two sides have met three times previously in major international tournaments this century, with the head-to-head record favoring England.
The Three Lions have won twice at the UEFA European Championship, while Croatia lead the World Cup head-to-head 1-0.
Kedar Bayley is a trained journalist specializing in culture reporting. As a Liverpool FC supporter, he writes about the Reds frequently. Knowledgeable about all things sports, cinema and television, you can find his work in Screen International, FourFourTwo, Manchester Evening News and more.
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