In the end, we come to Group L of , the place reside and will hope to steer them safely into the knockouts, preserving as a lot power as doable for the challenges forward.
A gap recreation towards 2018 runners-up will set the tone for this group and in a rematch of thateight years in the past, the Three Lions might be looking forward to a distinct consequence. In the event that they repeat the 6-1 victory over from the in Russia although, they’ll be greater than happy.
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This Panama staff appear like a harder nut than their predecessors however, conversely, are usually not the identical pressure they had been when solely the hand of in 2010. There may be worth in successful Group L, on condition that the runners-up would seemingly be on a collision course with event favourites within the final 16.
Group L fixtures
(all instances BST)
17 June, 9pm: England 4-2 Croatia – AT&T Stadium, Arlington
18 June, 12am: Ghana 1-0 Panama – BMO Discipline, Toronto
23 June, 9pm: England 0-0 Ghana – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
24 June, 12am: Panama 0-1 Croatia – BMO Discipline, Toronto
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27 June, 10pm: Panama v England – MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
27 June, 10pm: Croatia v Ghana – Lincoln Monetary Discipline, Philadelphia
England
It’s now 60 years since England’s lone World Cup success – an accomplishment on condition that those that bear in mind it at the moment are all of retirement age and 1966 is nearer to the sinking of the Titanic than to right this moment.
Extra pertinent is England’s current World Cup report, with semi-final and quarter-final defeats on the final two editions (plus runner-up finishes at every of the previous two Euros) which means Thomas Tuchel is the person tasked with finishing the work that Gareth Southgate began. Can a German lastly finish English soccer’s six a long time of harm?
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In , Tuchel has Europe’s most prolific striker over the previous 12 months, plus loads extra high quality woven all through the staff. But, regardless of an impeccable qualifying report that noticed them win all eight video games with out conceding a single purpose, there’s a nagging feeling that the Three Lions are only a slight stage beneath the easiest sides on the earth, corresponding to Spain and France, and that they could wilt within the North American warmth. Solely time will inform.
Harry Kane is the person that makes England tick (Reuters)
Squad:
Goalkeepers: (Everton), (), ()
Defenders: (), (), (Manchester Metropolis), (Manchester Metropolis), (), (Newcastle), (), (), (Manchester Metropolis)
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Midfielders: (), (Brentford), (), (), (Arsenal), (), (Aston Villa)
Forwards: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), (Arsenal), (Newcastle), (), Harry Kane (), (Aston Villa), (Al Ahli)
Coach: Thomas Tuchel
Star participant – Harry Kane, Bayern Munich: Seems to be within the type of his life on the age of 32 and is true within the Ballon d’Or hunt after scoring a staggering 61 targets for Bayern Munich in all competitions and serving to them to a home double. His goalscoring and skill to drop deep to hyperlink up play make him the important thing to this England aspect.
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Breakout expertise – Nico O’Reilly, Manchester Metropolis: A breakout marketing campaign at membership stage that noticed Man Metropolis followers vote the 21-year-old as their participant of the season, O’Reilly racked up an exceptional 9 targets and 6 assists whereas enjoying principally at left-back. A cultured ball-player, he appears to be like set to start out at full-back for Tuchel’s aspect however can also be an possibility in midfield if required.
Fifa rating: 4.
Odds to win the World Cup: 15/2, newest odds from .
Thomas Tuchel will attempt to finish 60 years of England harm (Reuters)
Croatia
That is seemingly one final rodeo for a slew of Croatian warhorses corresponding to , Mateo Kovacic, Andrej Kramaric, Dominik Livakovic and, after all, talismanic 40-year-old captain Luke Modric.
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Runners-up in 2018 and semi-finalists in 2022 is a exceptional return for this golden technology, so have they got sufficient within the tank to go deep once more or are they barely over the hill? Widespread knowledge says doubtlessly the latter however there are younger abilities corresponding to Josko Gvardiol and Luka Vuskovic dotted among the many veteran nous.
They cruised unbeaten by means of a pleasant group in qualification with seven wins and one draw and coach Zlatko Dalic might be quietly assured his staff could make some noise in North America.
A defeat within the opening recreation towards England would pile a little bit of strain on nonetheless, as whereas Ghana are in all probability harder on paper than in actuality, a barely underrated Panama are doubtlessly trickier in actual life than they might first seem. Croatia ought to nonetheless qualify for the knockouts comparatively comfortably however how a lot additional can they genuinely go?
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb), (FC Copenhagen), (Hull)
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Defenders: Josko Gvardiol (Manchester Metropolis), (), Josip Sutalo (Ajax), Josip Stanisic (Bayern Munich), Marin Pongracic (), (Midtjylland), Luka Vuskovic ()
Midfielders: Luka Modric (), Mateo Kovacic (Manchester Metropolis), Mario Pasalic (Atalanta), Nikola Vlasic (Torino), Luka Sucic (Actual Sociedad), (Como), Kristijan Jakic (Augsburg), Petar Sucic (Inter), (Bologna), (Rijeka)
Forwards: Ivan Perisic (PSV), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim), (Osasuna), Marco Pasalic (Orlando Metropolis), (Dallas), Igor Matanovic (Freiburg)
Coach: Zlatko Dalic
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Star participant – Luka Modric, AC Milan: The ageless marvel continues to be going robust into his 40s, now pulling the strings for AC Milan after iconic spells with Actual Madrid and Tottenham. He enters his fifth World Cup having gained the Golden Ball as Croatia misplaced within the last in 2018 and likewise led them to the semi-finals 4 years in the past. Can he lastly get an ageing aspect over the hump?
Breakout expertise – Luka Vuskovic, Hamburg: Simply 19 years previous, the Tottenham centre-back has excelled on mortgage at Hamburg this season, being named within the Bundesliga Staff of the Season after a stellar marketing campaign and is attracting curiosity from the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Bodily imposing, aerially dominant and an awesome reader of the sport, Vuskovic can also be a menace from set-pieces – scoring six targets for Hamburg and netting his first Croatia purpose towards Colombia in March.
Fifa rating: 11.
Odds to win the World Cup: 80/1.
Luka Vuskovic is considered one of Croatia’s finest younger abilities (Getty)
Ghana
The ghost of 2010 nonetheless hangs over Ghanaian soccer once they had been agonisingly, heartbreakingly near changing into the primary African aspect to succeed in the World Cup semi-finals, just for Luis Suarez to avoid wasting a surefire successful purpose on the road illegally together with his hand, proper on the finish of additional time. clattered the crossbar with the penalty and Uruguay then gained the shootout to ship residence.
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It has been a reasonably unremarkable World Cup report for Ghana since then – group-stage exits in 2014 and 2022, plus a failure to qualify in 2018 – however they breezed by means of qualifying this time spherical, with eight wins and a draw from 10 video games.
Nonetheless, this can be idiot’s gold given they didn’t qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, having suffered group-stage exits in 2023 and 2021, and have endured 5 losses and a limp draw with Wales of their six friendlies since sealing a spot in North America this summer season.
Veteran coach Carlos Queiroz does have some attacking high quality to name upon, most notably Man Metropolis’s , plus Inaki Williams, and captain , whereas the controversial pulls the strings in midfield however they appear weak on the again and lack actual depth throughout the squad. Their World Cup possibilities relaxation nearly solely on the opening group recreation towards Panama in Toronto.
Antoine Semenyo will hope to take his membership kind for Man Metropolis on to the worldwide stage (Getty)
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Benjamin Asare (Accra Hearts of Oak), Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St. Gallen), (St. Patrick’s Athletic)
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Defenders: Baba Abdul Rahman (PAOK), (), (Auxerre), (Rennes), (), (Istanbul Basaksehir), Jonas Adjetey (Wolfsburg), Kojo Oppong Peprah (Good), (Pafos), (Auxerre)
Midfielders: Thomas Partey (Villarreal), Kwasi Sibo (), Augustine Boakye (Saint-Etienne), (FC Nordsjaelland), (Leicester)
Forwards: Kamaldeen Sulemana (Atlanta), (Al Qadsiah), (Lyon), Antoine Semenyo (Manchester Metropolis), (Coventry), (Viktoria Plzen), Inaki Williams (), Jordan Ayew (Leicester)
Coach: Carlos Queiroz
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Star participant – Antoine Semenyo, Manchester Metropolis: Good for Bournemouth within the first half of the season and simply as spectacular after his January transfer to Man Metropolis, the place he was the match-winner within the FA Cup last, Semenyo can present the inventive spark for this Ghana staff. Robust, quick and with an eye fixed for purpose, how he hyperlinks up with the likes of Inaki Williams and Jordan Ayew in assault might be essential for Ghana’s possibilities
Breakout expertise – Caleb Yirenkyi, Nordsjaelland: Field-to-box midfielder Yirenkyi is the youngest member of Ghana’s World Cup squad at simply 20 however has already racked up 11 caps since his Black Stars debut 12 months in the past and scored his first worldwide purpose within the World Cup warm-up towards Wales. Has shone within the coronary heart of midfield for Danish aspect Nordsjaelland after coming by means of the well-known Proper to Dream academy that produced the likes of and Kamaldeen Sulemana and is now attracting the eye of Porto. Will hope to make issues tick from the engine room.
Fifa rating: 73.
Odds to win the World Cup: 500/1.
Caleb Yirenkyi (proper) may very well be a younger star that shines for Ghana at this World Cup (Getty)
Panama
Panama head to a second World Cup of their historical past, decided to enhance on a barely disastrous 2018 marketing campaign the place they conceded 11 targets and scored simply two in ending rock-bottom of the group.
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That event included a 6-1 battering by the hands of England they usually’ll have the chance for redemption in a rematch with the Three Lions this time spherical.
An skilled squad have really produced some spectacular outcomes in recent times, beating the USA en path to the 2023 Gold Cup last earlier than narrowly shedding to Mexico, ending as runners-up in final 12 months’s Concacaf Nations League and remaining unbeaten all through World Cup qualifying.
Coach Thomas Christiansen has customary a aspect which are arduous to interrupt down and their world rating of 33 reveals they will’t be taken flippantly. Beating Ghana and doubtlessly sneaking by means of to the knockout stage is a sensible goal.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: (Al-Fayha), Luis Mejia (Nacional), Cesar Samudio (Marathon)
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Defenders: Cesar Blackman (Slovan Bratislava), (Deportivo La Guaira), Amir Murillo (Besiktas), (Saprissa), (LASK), Edgardo Farina (Pari Nizhny Novgorod), Jose Cordoba (Norwich), (Plaza Amador), (Puerto Cabello), (Turan Tovuz)
Midfielders: Anibal Godoy (), (UNAM), Carlos Harvey (), Cristian Martinez (Ironi Kiryat Shmona), (Juarez), Cesar Yanis (Cobresal), Yoel Barcenas (Mazatlan), Alberto Quintero (Plaza Amador), Azarias Londono (Universidad Catolica)
Forwards: Ismael Diaz (Leon), (Universidad de Concepcion), Jose Fajardo (Universidad Catolica), (Saprissa)
Coach: Thomas Christiansen
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Star participant – Anibal Godoy, : Godoy will captain Panama 16 years on from his worldwide debut, having gained practically 160 caps, and he stays a key cog sitting in entrance of the defence at 36 years of age. His management may even be essential if Los Canaleros are to enhance on their 2018 performances.
Breakout expertise – Jose Cordoba, Norwich Metropolis: Panama have opted for expertise, with none of their gamers below the age of 24, however defender Cordoba – who had an excellent finish to the membership season for Norwich within the Championship – solely turned 25 per week earlier than the World Cup and might be essential to making sure their defence holds as agency as doable. Snug on the ball and a bodily presence, he’s already beginning to entice Premier League consideration that may solely intensify with World Cup.
Fifa rating: 33.
Odds to win the World Cup: 1500/1.
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Group L prediction
The England-Croatia opener looms massive in deciding the vacation spot of the group. That might simply be a draw and go away a chase for purpose distinction to high the pile however we’ll give a slight edge to England, with Croatia ending second. Ghana versus Panama is equally necessary and nearly too powerful to name, so we’ll say that’s a draw that in the end sees each side miss out on qualifying as among the finest third-placed groups.