England v Croatia prediction and preview ahead of Three Lions' World Cup opener

Nearly a week after the festival of football kicked off, England open their World Cup campaign against Croatia on Wednesday evening - and SPORTbible is here to cover the opening fixture of the Three Lions’ campaign to end 60 years of hurt.

Having waited at the back of the pile while the likes of Scotland, USA, and Germany warmed up the crowd, England finally take to the field at the 2026 World Cup at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington.

With a squad that caused a commotion amid notable omissions, Thomas Tuchel’s opening tournament comes with scepticism from the media, hot off the back of the Southgate era, which was filled with near misses.

The fans, however, are feeling different. In Operation Ladisfaction with Ladbrokes, we surveyed more than 1,000 people across the UK to discover what the ultimate moments of satisfaction would look like for football fans at the World Cup - and the most consistent feeling was one of excitement rather than dread or fear.

Indeed, the top three emotions among the fans we spoke to were excitement (52%), hope (52%) and cautious optimism (37%).

Interestingly, younger supporters we spoke to between 18-24 are even more optimistic than their elders, with more than a quarter describing themselves as confident going into the first game.

Amusingly, though, fans told us that the date of the draw is where excitement was at its highest, with over half of those we spoke to saying they find the build up to a major tournament as exciting or even more exciting than the event itself.

So, at least until 9pm on Wednesday night, England fans are in good spirits. But how will they be feeling come the end of the 90 minutes? Ahead of a trilogy clash to round off the evenly split 2018 World Cup semi-final and Euro 2020 group decider, SPORTbible takes you through everything you need to know for England vs Croatia.

The players to watch out for

Croatia

In a team that boasts veteran experience in almost every role, with golden-age stars like Luka Modric, Andrej Kramaric, and Ivan Perisic all competing at their last World Cup, Croatia will be putting stock into its youth for legs.

At the opposite end of the age scale is Luka Vuskovic, 19, who will be slotting into the centre of defence for the red and white chequered shirts. Either operating at the heart of a back five, flanked by Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol, or on the left side of a back two pairing, the exciting centre-half has become one of the hottest prospects on the transfer market this summer.

After a successful loan stint at Hamburg, the Tottenham-owned defender will be a frequent Premier League player next year and will be crucial to the success of Croatia this World Cup.

In an ageing team, there will be a huge reliance on the defensive solidity for the European nation, being able to withstand sustained periods of pressure while being a calm ball-player to take any strain off Modric and Mateo Kovacic.

He’ll start with the biggest test of his career in marking Harry Kane, but having learned about him from Tottenham staff, and holding Bayern to a draw in January, even getting on the scoresheet with the equaliser, he already knows just what to expect from the English talisman.

England

For England, Thomas Tuchel has done his best to create a squad that will relieve the onus heaped on the shoulders of Kane for goals, taking a squad of touchline-hugging wingers instead of flagship inside midfielders like Phil Foden and Cole Palmer.

Yet it will be the midfield that is expected to be the best support for Kane, and Morgan Rogers is at the heart of it.

While the jury is still out as to whether he’s done enough to usurp Jude Bellingham in the 10, our recent comparison showed that Rogers is the most prolific midfielder that we have, and whether he’s a starter or an impact sub, he will be key in England’s goalscoring department.

Hot off the back of a massive second-half of the season for Villa, ending in European silverware, Rogers’ tail is up, and with unwavering energy to run behind Kane, there’s no denying that his part in Tuchel’s team will be key to bringing football home.

The key battle that will decide the tie

For years, England’s biggest downfall has been its midfield battle, often dominated by comfortable possession-based players, such as was the case against Croatia back in the 2018 semi-finals.

It’s been a theme that has plagued the Three Lions, shoehorning in flair players while moving Bellingham from pillar to post, or trying to find a second holding midfielder with enough quality to make the step up.

This time around, England has a settled deep-lying duo in Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson, with exciting options in the 10, that finally has the right balance to compete with the best in the world.

The key will be getting this three-man triangle up and running quickly, and that will be the difference when it comes to beating Croatia.

On the flipside, Croatia will take every inch that England leave them, moving the ball around with ease, and if there’s a spare blade of grass, you can be sure Modric will find it.

Who will come out on top? (Results Preview)

Speaking to us prior to the tournament beginning as part of our LADnation Survey with Ladbrokes, 67% of fans predicted that England would make it to at least the last four, with 13% backing the Three Lions to bring home the trophy.

As for us, we’re not ready to get quite that excited just yet, but given the solidity in midfield this year, we predicted England’s athleticism and threat from deeper positions will be too much for an older Croatia team, who lack the same strength in depth.

It might be a slow start to the game as the baking conditions take their toll, but come the second half, England will let their quality shine with a comfortable 2-0 win.

England also come as well-priced favourites with Ladbrokes at 8/11, which is longer odds than you may have expected, although past results against Croatia show that this could be a banana skin fixture. Odds jump up for any Croatia result, though, with a draw priced at 13/5, and a win at 19/5.

The highly anticipated Group L opener between England and Croatia will kick off on Wednesday, June 17, at 9pm BST (3pm local time).