All eyes will be on AT&T Stadium in Arlington when England and Croatia face each other in their Group L opener. Given the number of top-class players in Thomas Tuchel's team, we predict a 1-0 home win. The Three Lions enter the tournament with high expectations despite the omission of several notable names, including Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Morgan Gibbs-White, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Harry Maguire. Even so, manager Thomas Tuchel still has an abundance of talent at his disposal (Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice) and will be confident of making a strong start to the World Cup campaign. England's recent form has been excellent, with seven wins from their last ten matches. The nominal hosts average 2.2 goals per game while conceding just 0.5, and their defensive record is particularly impressive, having kept clean sheets in 70% of those fixtures.
Croatia, meanwhile, remain one of the most experienced teams in the competition. Coach Zlatko Dalić continues to rely on veteran midfield duo Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic, while a 2-1 victory over Slovenia in their final warm-up game boosted confidence ahead of the tournament. Croatia have also won seven of their last ten matches, scoring 1.9 goals per game and averaging 2.9 total goals in their fixtures. However, they have been slightly less convincing defensively, conceding twice as many goals as England over the same period.
England possess greater squad depth and head into the match with one of the strongest defensive records in the tournament. Therefore, we are tempted to bet on Home Win, alongside Under 3.5 and Under 2.5 goals (Four of the last four meetings between these sides have produced three goals or fewer).
This World Cup 2026 match will be played on Wednesday 17 June 2026 at 21:00.
What is our England vs Croatia prediction?
Our prediction for this match: England 1 - 0 Croatia
England vs Croatia Betting Tips
- Correct Score: 1-0 @ 550 Odds
- Both Teams to Score (BTTS): No @ -134 Odds
- Over / Under 4.5 Goals: Under 4.5 Goals @ -1000 Odds
- Over / Under 3.5 Goals: Under 3.5 Goals @ -350 Odds
- Over / Under 2.5 Goals: Under 2.5 Goals @ -138 Odds
- Over / Under 1.5 Goals: Under 1.5 Goals @ 240 Odds
- Anytime Goalscorer: Harry Kane @ 125 Odds
- First Goalscorer: Harry Kane @ 375 Odds
- To be Booked: Marin Pongracic @ 250 Odds
- Asian Handicap: England -0.5 @ -149 Odds
- European Handicap: Croatia +2 @ -250 Odds
- Shots on Target (Home): Over 2.5
- Shots on Target (Away): Under 2.5
- Shots on Target (Total): Over 2.5
- Total Corners: 6 - 8 @ 162 Odds
- Double Chance: 12 @ -400 Odds
- Draw No Bet: England to Win @ -400 Odds
- Half Time/Full Time: England to Win/England to Win @ 160 Odds
- Clean Sheet: England - Yes @ 110 Odds
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View OfferEngland Team Form and Stats
| Form | Results | Points Per Game |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | lwwwwwwdlw | 2.20 |
| Home | lwwwdlw | 1.86 |
| Away | www | 3.00 |
| Stats | Overall | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win % | 70% | 57% | 100% |
| Average Goals Per Game | 2.70 | 2.14 | 4.00 |
| Scored | 2.20 | 1.43 | 4.00 |
| Conceded | 0.50 | 0.71 | 0.00 |
| BTTS | 20% | 29% | 0% |
| Clean Sheets | 70% | 57% | 100% |
| Failed to Score | 10% | 14% | 0% |
| Expected Goals | 2.02 | 1.81 | 2.50 |
| Expected Goals Against | 0.70 | 0.76 | 0.56 |
Croatia Team Form and Stats
| Form | Results | Points Per Game |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | wwdwwwwllw | 2.20 |
| Home | wwwlw | 2.40 |
| Away | wdwwl | 2.00 |
| Stats | Overall | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win % | 70% | 80% | 60% |
| Average Goals Per Game | 2.90 | 3.20 | 2.60 |
| Scored | 1.90 | 2.40 | 1.40 |
| Conceded | 1.00 | 0.80 | 1.20 |
| BTTS | 50% | 40% | 60% |
| Clean Sheets | 40% | 40% | 40% |
| Failed to Score | 20% | 20% | 20% |
| Expected Goals | 2.01 | 2.43 | 1.58 |
| Expected Goals Against | 1.00 | 0.70 | 1.30 |
England vs Croatia Head to Head Statistics (H2H)
England (50%)
4 Matches
Croatia (25%)
England vs Croatia Past Results
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