England kick off their 2026 World Cup campaign against a familiar foe on Thursday evening.
Thomas Tuchel’s side are out to end 60 years of hurt and will be looking to start that journey with an opening group stage win against Croatia.
Luka Modric and co. are ranked 11th in the world rankings and appear to be the side to give the Three Lions their toughest test in Group L, which also contains Ghana and Panama.
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Tuchel is firmly under the spotlight following his controversial squad selection, which left out the likes of superstars Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold, as well as experienced heads Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw.
The German has chosen a 26-man squad that will prioritise squad harmony over individual talent, but also to suit the way he wants to play.
Speaking ahead of the Croatia clash, Tuchel confirmed he will be sticking to his plan despite the heat that the awaits the players in Texas. He said: “They want to be active with the ball.
“We have a young group. We have a courageous group. We have a brave group of players.
“So let’s go for it. I mean, no-one guarantees you that we win. So we want to at least try it, our style and our belief.”
England face Croatia for the first time since Raheem Sterling scored the only goal in a Euro 2020 group stage victory.
The three previous meetings saw one win apiece and a draw, all in 2018, with Croatia triumphing in the World Cup semi-final before the Three Lions changed the form in the UEFA Nations League.
Both sides will be excited for the opening clash and will be feeling the supporter from their stunning WAGs who have made the journey Stateside, including Izabel Kovacic, who has been dubbed Shakira’s lookalike.