England’s World Cup 2026 Journey Begins Against Croatia

The waiting is over. England step into World Cup 2026 under the Texan sun in Dallas, and the first sight that greets them is a ghost from the past: Croatia, the nation that shattered their dreams in a semi-final eight years ago.

This time the script is different. The man in the dugout is Thomas Tuchel, not Gareth Southgate, and the weight of expectation feels sharper, heavier, more urgent. England arrive with star power, depth, and a manager unafraid to make hard calls. Now they have to prove that all of it counts when the whistle goes.

Tuchel’s Choices, Kane’s Stage

Tuchel has near a full deck to play with. Twenty-five of his 26-man squad are available in Dallas; only late call-up Trevoh Chalobah misses out, still not ready to feature. It leaves the England manager with options everywhere and excuses nowhere.

At the tip of it all stands Harry Kane. The captain leads the line again, chasing the kind of tournament that defines legacies. Around him, the early days of this World Cup have already been lit up by marquee names from other nations. Kane will expect to join that conversation immediately, not wait for the tournament to come to him.

But Tuchel’s clean-looking squad sheet has one complication that could shape his entire approach: Bukayo Saka.

Saka Question Hangs Over England

Saka’s importance to England is beyond debate. His direct running, his calm in big moments, his understanding with Kane — they all give this side an extra gear. Yet his fitness is under careful management as he battles an injury, and that leaves Tuchel with a dilemma on day one.

Does he start the Arsenal star and risk aggravating the problem in the heat of Dallas? Or does he hold him back, use him as a weapon from the bench, and trust others to carry the early burden?

The decision is not just about one game. It is about the month ahead, about navigating a group that also contains Ghana and Panama, about ensuring that England’s sharpest tools are still available when the stakes climb.

Croatia Changed, Modric Constant

On the other side of the halfway line, Croatia no longer look like the snarling, battle-hardened machine that dragged itself to the final in Russia. That team has been broken up, its core scattered across retirements and new roles. They are, by most measures, a lesser force now.

Yet one figure remains, still dictating, still demanding: Luka Modric.

At the heart of Croatia’s midfield, Modric continues to be the brain and heartbeat of his country’s football. His presence alone keeps them dangerous, keeps them relevant, keeps them capable of punishing any lapse in concentration. England know this better than most.

Old Wounds, New Campaign

For England, this is more than a group-stage opener in Group L. It is a chance to close a chapter that has lingered too long. The semi-final defeat eight years ago has lived in the national memory, a reminder of how close they came and how quickly it slipped away.

Now, under Tuchel, with Kane still leading and Saka’s status hanging in the air, they walk back into the story with a chance to rewrite it.

The stage is set in Dallas. The names are big, the stakes are bigger, and the question is simple: is this the England side that finally turns promise into something lasting?