England prepare surprises against Croatia: Tuchel could turn to pace and pressing from the first minute
England could begin their first match at the 2026 World Cup against Croatia with a starting line-up that would bring several important departures from expectations. According to media projections ahead of the encounter, Jude Bellingham is expected to take the role of central attacking midfielder behind captain Harry Kane, while Noni Madueke and Anthony Gordon are being tipped for the wing positions. Such an outcome would mean that Bukayo Saka, if he is not fully fit, and Marcus Rashford could start the match on the bench. The official line-ups will be confirmed only shortly before kick-off, but reports from the English media suggest that Thomas Tuchel is considering a team with more running, pressing and defensive responsibility in wide areas.
According to FIFA's schedule, the England - Croatia match will be played on 17 June 2026 at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, in the state of Texas, kicking off at 15:00 local time, or 22:00 Central European Summer Time. It is a Group L match, which also includes Ghana and Panama, so the very first result could strongly shape the battle for qualification for the knockout stage. For the 2026 edition, FIFA has confirmed an expanded format with 48 national teams, 12 groups of four teams and qualification for the two best national teams from each group, as well as the eight best third-placed teams, to the round of 32. This means that defeat in the first match is not necessarily decisive, but opening against a direct competitor carries significantly greater weight than matches in which a clear difference in quality is expected in advance.
Bellingham as the link, Kane as the finishing point
The most high-profile projected decision concerns the position of Jude Bellingham, who, according to projections, is expected to play behind Harry Kane, in a zone where he can connect midfield and attack. In doing so, Tuchel would not necessarily be seeking only creativity in the final third, but also a physical presence between the Croatian lines, where Croatia traditionally tries to slow the rhythm and take control of possession. Bellingham is a player who can escape pressure, attack space without the ball and aggressively enter duels after possession is lost, so his role could be crucial in England's attempt to prevent calm playmaking through Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić. Kane, on the other hand, remains the central point of the attack, but his ability to drop toward midfield could open space for runs from the wingers and Bellingham from the second line.
The English Football Association previously confirmed that Tuchel selected 26 players for the World Cup, and that Kane leads the team. English previews particularly stress that Tuchel has not completely resolved all doubts over the starting eleven since preparations, with the wing positions, the attacking midfielder role and part of the defence mentioned as the most open areas. Such uncertainty can be a tactical advantage, but also a sign that the England head coach is trying to find a balance between big individual names and a structure that will function against Croatian experience. In a match of this profile, the reputation of the attackers alone is not enough; the selection of players on the flanks and in the half-spaces will determine how often England can reach dangerous situations, but also how well they will close down Croatian advances forward.
Why Madueke and Gordon change the tone of the match
The possible inclusion of Noni Madueke and Anthony Gordon in the starting line-up shows the direction in which Tuchel, according to the available reports, is thinking about Croatia. Madueke on the right side brings directness, verticality and readiness for one-on-one play, but also energy in high pressing. Gordon on the left side offers a similar package of intensity, with a pronounced willingness to repeat sprints, attack the space behind the defence and take part in recovery runs. If this projection is confirmed, England would try from the start to avoid static possession and impose a match with many transitional moments, which is a different approach from a game in which they would primarily rely on technical dominance and longer attacks.
According to Sporting News, Saka has been linked with Achilles tendon problems ahead of the match, which is why Madueke is listed as the likely solution on the right wing. That does not mean Saka is out of contention, but in a match at a major tournament and against an opponent who knows how to punish every drop in intensity, physical readiness often takes precedence over nominal status. Rashford's possible role from the bench would also make sense if Tuchel wants to use his pace later against a more tired defence. Such a distribution of minutes would not be a sign of a lack of trust, but an attempt to manage the rhythm of a match in which a great deal of tactical outmanoeuvring is expected.
Croatia as a reason for caution, not only as an opponent from the past
England cannot view Croatia only through the prism of the famous 2018 World Cup semi-final, when the Croatian national team won 2:1 after extra time and reached the final. UEFA's archive also recalls England's later response at the 2020 European Championship, when England won 1:0 in the group stage at Wembley. Those two encounters are often cited as symbols of a more recent rivalry, but the current context is different: both national teams have changed part of their squads, England are led by a new head coach, and Croatia enter the tournament with a combination of an experienced core and players who are expected to carry the transition toward the next period. That is precisely why Tuchel's reported caution is not a surprise, but an acknowledgment that Croatia still have mechanisms with which they can slow down favourites.
The Croatian Football Federation announced the final national team list for the tournament on 1 June, and ahead of the match special emphasis was placed on the importance of Luka Modrić, who expects to appear at his tenth major tournament and fifth World Cup. The HNS states that Modrić, in his preview of the duel, highlighted the team's good preparation, the importance of the first match for confidence and the fact that the result against England does not have to determine Croatia's tournament by itself. The Croatia captain singled out Bellingham as a danger, which is understandable given that he knows him well from their shared period at club level. That statement further explains why Tuchel could want the most mobile possible attacking block around England's number ten.
Dalić warns about the flanks and Kane, but does not announce a passive Croatia
Zlatko Dalić, according to the HNS announcement, said that Croatia face a difficult start against the most demanding opponent in the group, but stressed that the match against England is not decisive for the whole tournament. The Croatia head coach particularly warned about England's threat down the flanks and the quality of Harry Kane, whom he described as one of the best strikers in the world. At the same time, he said that Croatia do not want only to defend and that the team has been prepared for a more active approach. That message is important because Croatia's plan against favoured opponents is often wrongly reduced to waiting and defending, although the national team's greatest success at the last two World Cups was built also on the ability to control key phases of the match through midfield.
According to projections, Dalić's team could start with three players in the back line, with Joško Gvardiol, Josip Šutalo and Luka Vušković, while Josip Stanišić and Ivan Perišić could have the wide roles. In midfield, the Modrić - Kovačić axis is expected, with players in front of them who can connect possession with the striker. Such an arrangement has not been officially confirmed, but it fits the logic of a match in which Croatia must simultaneously protect the space behind the wide players and retain enough technical quality to play out of pressure. If England really start with Madueke and Gordon, Croatia's flanks will be under constant examination: every delay in closing down could open space for crosses toward Kane or cut-backs toward Bellingham.
Midfield as the most important zone
Although the attacking names will attract the most attention, the match could be decided in midfield. With Modrić and Kovačić, Croatia have players who know how to keep the ball under pressure and change the direction of attack with a single pass. England therefore must choose between high pressing, which carries the risk of leaving space behind the midfield line, and a more patient block, which gives Croatia time to organise. Tuchel's possible decision to give priority to more mobile wingers can be read precisely through that dilemma: England want to attack Croatia's first and second lines as soon as the ball moves toward the flank, while at the same time they must have players who can close the passing lanes back toward Modrić and Kovačić.
In this picture, Declan Rice also has an important role, as he is expected to be the main safeguard in England's midfield. His task will not only be to stop Croatian counters, but also to prevent Croatia from too easily finding players between the lines. If Bellingham plays high, Rice and his midfield partner will have to carefully judge when to step out to press and when to stay closer to the defence. Croatia, meanwhile, will try to exploit every situation in which England's wingers go too high, especially through Perišić or Stanišić, depending on the side on which space opens up. That is exactly why the first part of the match could be decisive in a psychological sense: the team that imposes the rhythm will force the opponent to adapt.
The wider context of Group L
FIFA has confirmed that Group L consists of England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama. In the expanded World Cup format, such a group does not have to be settled only through the first two places, because third-placed national teams also have a realistic chance of going through if they win enough points. Still, the England and Croatia encounter carries special weight because it involves two European national teams with experience of deep tournament runs. England are the fourth-ranked national team in the world according to FIFA's ranking of 11 June, while Croatia are eleventh, which confirms that this is not an uneven duel regardless of the depth of the English squad. Victory in Dallas would not guarantee anyone qualification, but it would represent a major step toward a calmer continuation of the competition.
The schedule further increases the importance of a good start. FIFA's group overview states that England face Ghana and Panama after Croatia, while Croatia then play against Panama and Ghana. In such a sequence, one point or three from the first match changes the way in which the coaches can manage workload, rotations and risk in the remaining two encounters. For England, victory would confirm their status as favourites and give Tuchel room to continue building the team around the chosen structure. For Croatia, a positive result against the highest-ranked opponent in the group would be strong confirmation that experience can still be just as important as athletic power and bench depth.
Tuchel's choice as a message to Croatia
If the reports about Madueke, Gordon and Bellingham are confirmed, England's starting line-up will be a clear message that Tuchel does not want to wait for Croatia, but to attack through rhythm. Such an approach brings advantages, but also risks. High intensity can force Croatia into mistakes in build-up play, but if the press is not coordinated, Modrić, Kovačić and Perišić have enough experience to find free space and calm the match. England are therefore not choosing only the eleven best individuals on paper, but a combination of profiles that should respond to Croatia's strongest points. That is the essence of the reported surprises: it is not only about the names that could remain on the bench, but about an attempt to set the tone of the match from the first minute.
Croatia arrive in Dallas with the reputation of a national team that played in the final in 2018 and won third place in 2022, but also with a message from their own staff that they cannot live off the past. According to the HNS, Dalić stressed that the medals were a great achievement, but that the team must again prove its worth on the pitch. Precisely that combination of experience, continuity and the need for renewed confirmation makes the duel with England one of the most interesting matches of the opening of Group L. The official line-ups will show how accurate the media reports were, but it is already clear that Tuchel's first major tournament test could begin with decisions that say more about respect for Croatia than about a mere experiment.
Sources:
- FIFA – official overview of the England - Croatia match, date, stadium and Group L schedule (link)
- FIFA – explanation of the 2026 World Cup format with 48 national teams and qualification for the round of 32 (link)
- FIFA – overview of Group L and participants England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama (link)
- FIFA – current ranking of the England national team, updated 11 June 2026 (link)
- FIFA – current ranking of the Croatia national team, updated 11 June 2026 (link)
- England Football / The FA – official announcement of England's squad for the 2026 World Cup (link)
- Croatian Football Federation – final list of the Croatian national team and coaching staff for the 2026 World Cup (link)
- Croatian Football Federation – statement by Zlatko Dalić ahead of the match with England (link)
- Croatian Football Federation – statement by Luka Modrić ahead of the match with England (link)
- Sporting News – projected starting line-ups for England and Croatia for the Group L match (link)
- GOAL – analysis of Tuchel's possible selection dilemmas in the England team ahead of Croatia (link)
- UEFA – archive context of England and Croatia matches at major tournaments (link)