Arlington, June 17 (IANS) England will kick off their World Cup journey with a blockbuster Group L encounter against Croatia at Dallas’ AT&T Stadium, where two of Europe’s heavyweights meet in one of the standout opening-round fixtures.

The Three Lions arrive in the United States after a dominant qualifying campaign under Thomas Tuchel, winning every match and remarkably keeping eight consecutive clean sheets. Despite that near-perfect run, back-to-back friendly defeats to Uruguay and Japan have slightly tempered the optimism surrounding England ahead of the tournament.

Croatia, meanwhile, once again head into a major competition with a reputation for thriving under pressure. Guided by Zlatko Dalic, the experienced side secured qualification by winning seven of their eight group matches and will be eager to make another deep World Cup run after reaching the semi-finals in each of the previous two editions.

Their dramatic extra-time triumph over England in the 2018 World Cup semi-final remains a defining moment between the two nations and adds extra intrigue to this latest meeting.

How to watch England vs Croatia live in India:

Live streaming and live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 matches will be available on the Zee5 platform and app in India. A subscription will be needed.

Live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be available on the Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD TV channels in India.

Key details:

Date and kick-off time: Thursday, June 18, 01:30 AM IST

Venue: Dallas Stadium, Arlington

Referee: Clement Turpin

Squads:

England –

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford

Defenders: Ezri Konsa, Nico O’Reilly, John Stones, Marc Guéhi, Tino Livramento, Dan Burn, Reece James, Djed Spence, Jarell Quansah

Midfielders: Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Jordan Henderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze

Forwards: Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Ollie Watkins, Noni Madueke, Ivan Toney

Croatia –

Goalkeepers: Dominik Livakovic, Ivor Pandur, Dominik Kotarski

Defenders: Josip Stanisic, Marin Pongracic, Josko Gvardiol, Duje Caleta-Car, Josip Sutalo, Luka Vuskovic, Martin Erlic

Midfielders: Nikola Moro, Mateo Kovacic, Luka Modric, Nikola Vlasic, Mario Pasalic, Martin Baturina, Petar Sucic, Kristijan Jakic, Toni Fruk, Luka Sucic

Forwards: Andrej Kramaric, Ante Budimir, Ivan Perisic, Igor Matanovic, Marco Pasalic, Petar Musa

–IANS

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