Arlington, June 16: England will begin another quest to end their long wait for World Cup glory when they face Croatia in their opening Group L fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the AT&T Stadium on Wednesday.
The Three Lions remain in pursuit of a second world title, having not lifted the trophy since their historic triumph on home soil in 1966. Despite success at youth level, with England’s Under-17 and Under-20 teams both winning World Cups in 2017, senior international football’s biggest prize has continued to elude them.
Under new manager Thomas Tuchel, England head into the tournament with high expectations after an impressive qualifying campaign. They became the first European nation to secure a place at the finals, winning all eight of their matches and keeping eight consecutive clean sheets.However, doubts over England’s credentials emerged during their recent preparations. Tuchel’s side failed to defeat Uruguay and Japan in March friendlies, with the defeat to Japan marking England’s first-ever loss to an Asian nation. They also needed a late intervention from captain Harry Kane to avoid an upset against New Zealand.Confidence was restored somewhat in their final warm-up match, where a stronger England side comfortably overcame Costa Rica.History also offers encouragement for the Three Lions. England have lost only one of their last eight World Cup opening matches, a 2-1 defeat to Italy in 2014. During that run, they have recorded four wins and three draws, including victories in their last two tournament openers against Tunisia and Iran.Their first opponents in North America, Croatia, have built a reputation for punching above their weight on the global stage and will be keen to spoil England’s plans.With hopes once again resting on a talented squad and a new manager at the helm, England will be aiming to make the perfect start. (Agencies)
