England vs Croatia: World Cup preview, predictions and bet builder tips

• Fixture: England vs Croatia

• Competition: World Cup group stage (Group L)

• Date: Wednesday, 17 June, 2026

• Kick-off: 21:00 BST

• Venue: Dallas Stadium, Texas, USA

Our prediction: England 3-1 Croatia

England

Our predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Pickford / James, Konsa, Stones, O'Reilly / Rice, Anderson / Madueke, Bellingham, Gordon / Kane

You can also see England legend Teddy Sheringham's predicted England lineup for their Group L opener, with the former striker speaking exclusively to Ladbrokes.

Croatia

Our predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Livakovic / Stanisic, Vuskovic, Sutalo, Gvardiol / Modric, Kovacic / Baturina, Kramaric, Perisic / Budimir

The first pick of our England vs Croatia bet builder is potentially a slightly ambitious one, but we're anticipating something of a goal-fest in Texas, with over 3.5 goals being scored in the match - setting the tone for a thoroughly entertaining Group L.

Despite Croatia's incredible depth of experience on the biggest stage, their recent form suggests their games have been pretty frantic, with five of their last eight competitive matches featuring at least four goals. They usually score, but they seemingly always concede, and with the likes of Golden Boot contender Harry Kane lining up for England, the Three Lions will be licking their lips at the prospect of bagging a few goals here.

So with that in mind, we're tipping over 3.5 goals to be scored in England vs Croatia, with the game proving more open than many might be expecting.

To go along with our high-scoring prediction, we're also singling out England skipper Harry Kane, with the 32-year-old backed to have at least two shots on target against Croatia.

England's record goalscorer by a mile, Kane has enjoyed the most prolific season of his already illustrious career this term, scoring 61 times in just 51 matches for Bayern Munich - and we expect him to carry that threat into the 2026 World Cup. He already has one World Cup Golden Boot to his name, and having averaged more than 2.5 shots on target per 90 for Bayern in the 2025/26 Bundesliga season, there's little sign of the Ballon d'Or contender slowing down any time soon.

A fruitful group stage will also see Kane close in on Miroslav Klose's record, so we're expecting plenty of attempts from the England captain - with Kane having 2+ shots on target against Croatia.

Heading over to the cards markets now, and we're predicting a difficult afternoon for Croatia right-back Josip Stanisic, who will be lining up against the electric pace of Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford, and maybe even Morgan Rogers - so we're tipping him to pick up a card.

Stanisic has become a major part of the Bayern Munich defence this year, so is more than comfortable competing on the biggest stage, but England's left-wing options offer so much speed, directness, and technical ability that it's hard to see him coping for the full 90 minutes. The 26-year-old has looked assured for the German champions, only committing a foul every couple of games, but he rarely has to come up against attacking options of such quality - and in a game where England will be expected to dominate possession, the full-back is likely to have a very busy afternoon.

As a result, Ladbrokes is backing his high involvement to see him commit a few offences, so we're tipping Josip Stanisic to be carded by referee Clement Turpin.

Rounding off our England vs Croatia preview and predictions, we're tipping Thomas Tuchel's side to get their 2026 World Cup off to the perfect start with an eye-catching victory, soaring straight to the top of Group L - where they will intend on staying.

The Three Lions have only lost one competitive match since that heartbreaking Euro 2024 final, and with a couple of comfortable warm-up victories in the bank ahead of this Group L opener, it's no surprise to see them priced as firm favourites to take all three points - and one of the favourites to go all the way this summer. Croatia's experience will stand them in good stead to qualify for the round of 32, but defeats to Brazil and Belgium in two of their last three games suggests they're not quite able to keep up with the international powerhouses these days - and England can certainly be put into that bracket.

So our experts are backing the Three Lions, with a statement win against the team likely to be their closest challenger in Group L - and with victory here, perhaps the momentum needed to reach a first final since 1966 will be gained.

You can bet on each of these markets individually, or combine them to create an England vs Croatia Bet Builder. Plus, with Bet Builder+, you can combine your bet not only with other World Cup matches, but also with different sports.

Check out our full range of World Cup match previews, with our experts providing bet builder tips throughout the tournament.

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All odds and market details are accurate as of the time of publication.

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