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Friday, December 12
Editorial

World Cup Group L preview: Can favourites England go the distance?

● England are the tournament favourites
● Croatia are a good side
● Ghana and Panama are there to make up the numbers

By Updated:No Comments4 Mins Read
Thomas Tuchel. Source: X
Thomas Tuchel. Source: X

The 2026 Geopolitics World Cup has 12 groups. Yes, you read it right. With 48 teams in the fray, football’s quadrennial showpiece has taken a baby step towards achieving ArseneWenger’s dream of having a 100-team World Cup, tongue firmly ensconced in cheek.

The people who matter are happy though. President Donald Trump is revelling in his FIFA Peace Prize. FIFA president Gianni Infantino had his fanboy moment during the group draw at John F Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington DC last week, and Cristiano Ronaldo is enjoying himself with a beaming smile after his ban has been inexplicably reduced. Mexico and Canada are co-hosts of the tournament, ostensibly on paper.

This column aims to deal with Group L. Never heard of anything like this before, but what to do? ‘The times they are a-changin‘… Lo and behold, England are the marquee team in this group — the favourite whipping boy of the officials, be it Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal or Frank Lampard’s denied goal. The Three Lions have a squad to win the World Cup, but will they get a level playing field?

Team 1: England

● Fixtures

June 17: England vs Croatia (4pm ET, 1pm PT, 9pm BST) — AT&T Stadium, Dallas

June 23: England vs Ghana (4pm ET, 1pm PT, 9pm BST) — Gillette Stadium, Boston

June 27: Panama vs England (5pm ET, 2pm PT, 10pm BST) — MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey

● Previous best finish: Champions (1966)
● How they qualified: By topping Group K in the qualifying phase
● Key player: Harry Kane (centre-forward) — captain, leader, legend. Unarguably the best striker in the world… Apologies Erling Haaland.
● Coaching credentials: Thomas Tuchel — a Champions League winner with Chelsea, the German will miss a trick if he doesn’t pick Trent Alexander-Arnold.
● Likely breakthrough star: Jude Bellingham is already a superstar. This is his opportunity to become a legend.
● Realistic expectation: Champions, if a level playing field is offered.

Team 2: Croatia

● Fixtures

June 17: England vs Croatia (4pm ET, 1pm PT, 9pm BST) — AT&T Stadium, Dallas

June 23: Panama vs Croatia (7pm ET, 4pm PT, 12am BST+1) — BMO Field, Toronto

June 27: Croatia vs Ghana (5pm ET, 2pm PT, 10pm BST) — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

● Previous best finish: Final (2018)
● How they qualified: By going unbeaten and topping their group in the qualifying, while scoring 26 goals.
● Key player: Luka Modric (midfielder) — The veteran is still the heartbeat of this Croatia side.
● Coaching credentials: Zlatko Dalic — the most successful manager in the history of Croatian football.
● Likely breakthrough star: Petar Susic of Inter Milan.
● Realistic expectation: Quarter-finals.

Team 3: Ghana

● Fixtures

June 17: Ghana vs Panama (7pm ET, 4pm PT, 12am BST+1) — BMO Field, Toronto

June 23: England vs Ghana (4pm ET, 1pm PT, 9pm BST) — Gillette Stadium, Boston

June 27: Croatia vs Ghana (5pm ET, 2pm PT, 10pm BST) — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

● Previous best finish: Quarter-finals (2010)
● How they qualified: By topping CAF Group I.
● Key player: Jordan Ayew — he can score goals.
● Coaching credentials: Otto Addo has been Ghana’s head coach since March 2024, taking over from Chris Hughton.
● Likely breakthrough star: Mohammed Kudus is a versatile player.
● Realistic expectation: Round of 16.

Team 4: Panama

● Fixtures

June 17: Ghana vs Panama (7pm ET, 4pm PT, 12am BST+1)

June 23: Panama vs Croatia (7pm ET, 4pm PT, 12am BST+1)

June 27: Panama vs England (5pm ET, 2pm PT, 10pm BST)

● Previous best finish: Group stage (2018)
● How they qualified: By beating El Salvador 3-0 in a win-or-bust game in the qualifying.
● Key player: Anibal Godoy — their captain.
● Coaching credentials: Thomas Christiansen — a former Spain international.
● Likely breakthrough star: Adalberto Carrasquilla — a dynamic forward
● Realistic expectation: Group-stage exit.

Also Read: Group A overview – Mexico are the likely favourites after winning the CONCACAF double this year, but a team from Europe is always competitive

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