The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins this week, and the 12 teams are set forward of the newly expanded 48-team match.
The 2026 version of the FIFA World Cup, hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada, marks the primary time the historic match has expanded from 32 to 48 groups. It can additionally characteristic a brand new Spherical of 32 knockout stage, leading to a colossal 104 matches throughout 39 days.
Group L consists of England, Croatia, Ghana, and Panama. Let’s check out the Group L groups and see how every workforce is shaping up heading into the match.
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, and Panama
England:
England and their followers have been awaiting one other worldwide trophy since their sole World Cup victory in 1966. It’s not attributable to an absence of expertise or robust groups, as England has been in nice kind ever for the reason that 2018 World Cup, the place they made it to the semifinals earlier than dropping to Croatia. Since then, England have been much more aggressive on the worldwide stage, making it to the finals of Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 however arising quick in each.
England are actually led by supervisor Thomas Tuchel, a top-tier coach who has received throughout Europe and has put collectively one other gifted squad heading to the U.S. searching for glory. Regardless of their latest string of heartbreak, England will as soon as once more enter the match among the many favorites.
England was flawless all through World Cup qualifying, going 8-0 and profitable their group, one thing solely England and Norway had been capable of obtain. England performed phenomenally all through qualifying and, below Tuchel, have adopted a high-possession fashion of play that definitely takes extra dangers than Gareth Southgate’s England groups, a system that comes with each rewards and dangers.
Tuchel got here below some scrutiny for leaving skilled internationals resembling Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Harry Maguire at residence, however the squad nonetheless has a litany of choices and is sound all through the lineup. England’s all-time main goalscorer and captain, Harry Kane, is again as soon as once more for his third straight World Cup. He’ll be joined by unimaginable skills resembling Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Gordon, all of whom have loved profitable membership seasons. Whereas the largest adjustments to England’s lineup will possible are available in protection, keep watch over Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, who had a stellar yr for the membership and will kind a formidable partnership with Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice.
Croatia:
Time and time once more, Croatia manages to outperform expectations with an skilled squad that appears to become old with every version of the World Cup. The world realized that Croatia is a power to be reckoned with after back-to-back World Cups of success, with the Croatians ending as runners-up in 2018 and semifinalists in 2022. They enter this yr’s match with loads of their earlier World Cup veterans, but additionally with younger expertise hoping to study from the achieved Croatians.
Croatia was almost good in qualifying, profitable seven of their eight video games and topping their group whereas conceding simply 4 targets. Croatia are nonetheless led by supervisor Zlatko Dalić, who has the complete backing of the gamers and followers after guiding his facet via the previous two World Cups. Croatia’s gifted midfield permits them to play a sound and methodical possession-based fashion, as soon as once more led by 40-year-old and 2018 Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modrić, who’s making his fifth World Cup look. He’ll be joined in midfield by Mateo Kovačić and Mario Pašalić, two gamers who additionally convey prior World Cup expertise. Regardless of lots of Croatia’s stars getting older, you’ll be able to’t exchange expertise and success, two issues Croatia has mastered over the previous two tournaments.
Ghana:
Since their World Cup debut in 2006, Ghana has appeared in each version of the match besides 2018. Their finest end got here in 2010 after they reached the quarterfinals, however they haven’t made it out of the group stage since. The most important query surrounding Ghana is the truth that they parted methods with their supervisor just some months in the past and just lately appointed Carlos Queiroz to guide the workforce this summer time. Queiroz, who’s 73 years outdated, has beforehand managed Portugal and Iran, however his actual take a look at will likely be constructing chemistry with a brand new squad and getting the gamers to purchase into his system with just a few months to organize.
Anticipate Ghana to rely closely on veterans Thomas Partey, Iñaki Williams and Jordan Ayew, in addition to gifted Bournemouth ahead Antoine Semenyo, who scored 17 Premier League targets this season.
Panama:
Panama is again within the World Cup after lacking out in 2022 and will likely be hoping to construct off the momentum from their World Cup debut in 2018. Panama took benefit of the U.S., Canada and Mexico not collaborating in qualifying, going 7W-0L-3D to safe their place on this yr’s match. Though Panama missed out on the final World Cup, they had been runners-up within the 2023 Gold Cup and have seemed like a extra constant workforce below supervisor Thomas Christiansen.
Christiansen, who has managed Panama since 2020, will likely be main his squad into a particularly aggressive Group L, the place Panama are nearly definitely the underdogs. Regulate midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla, winner of the 2023 Gold Cup Finest Participant award, who has been a constant contributor for Panama and is an extremely gifted participant with robust technical capability on either side of the ball.
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