Group L of the 2026 World Cup: England and Croatia in the spotlight, Ghana and Panama looking for room to spring a surprise
Group L of the 2026 FIFA World Cup brings together England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama and closes the alphabetical sequence of groups at the first World Cup with 48 national teams. According to FIFA's official data, the two best national teams will advance directly to the round of 32, and they will be joined by the eight best third-placed teams from a total of 12 groups. In such a system, one point against the favourites can have great value, so Group L is not only a duel between England and Croatia for the top spot, but also a space in which Ghana and Panama can seek a result that changes the standings.
FIFA has confirmed that the 2026 World Cup will be played from 11 June to 19 July in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. Group L will begin on 17 June with the matches between England and Croatia in Dallas and Ghana and Panama in Toronto. The second round brings the matches between England and Ghana in Boston and Panama and Croatia in Toronto, while the group will conclude on 27 June with Panama against England in New York New Jersey and Croatia against Ghana in Philadelphia. For fans planning travel to Group L matches, different cities and time zones will be relevant, so alongside the match schedule there will also be demand for accommodation in the host cities of Group L.
A format that changes the logic of the group
According to FIFA's tournament rules, the 2026 World Cup is the first tournament with 48 national teams arranged in 12 groups of four teams. In the previous format with 32 national teams, third place in the group most often meant the end of the competition, while in 2026 two-thirds of the third-placed national teams will continue in the tournament. This increases the importance of goal difference, discipline and the way teams manage risk in the closing stages of matches. At the same time, the favourites will not be able to count on a minimal advantage in the group guaranteeing them an easier path, because first and second place lead into predetermined but different branches of the knockout stage.
For Group L, this is especially important because it contains two national teams with high international reputations and two teams that can build their chance on solid organisation, transition and set pieces. England and Croatia enter with greater expectations, but neither Ghana nor Panama has to win the group in order to judge the tournament successful. Ghana can use physical strength and speed in more open matches, while Panama has experience in matches in which it defends deep and looks for space to counterattack. In the new format, such an approach can be enough for a point or a victory against an opponent carrying greater pressure. For that reason, Group L cannot be viewed only through the question of who is the favourite, but also through the question of who will best manage moments when the result does not go according to expectations.
England under great pressure of expectations
England enter Group L as a national team expected to fight for the top of the group and make a deep run in the tournament. According to the official schedule of the English Football Association, the team will open the competition precisely against Croatia on 17 June in Dallas, which immediately puts the toughest test at the beginning of the tournament. In recent years, England have regularly reached the closing stages of major competitions, and therefore their status is no longer based only on tradition but also on continuity of results. In addition, the international ranking and the depth of the playing squad confirm that this is one of the strongest European national teams. But precisely for that reason, the pressure on England is not smaller but greater: anything other than convincing progress from the group would be interpreted as a serious disappointment.
The tactical framework of the first round will be particularly interesting. Against Croatia, England will not have the luxury of gradually entering the tournament because they will immediately play against an opponent proven in high-pressure matches. If England win the first match, they will enter the second round against Ghana with control over the group and the possibility of securing qualification before the final round. If they remain without a win, the duel with Ghana will become more psychologically demanding, because the African national team could, in such circumstances, play with less burden and more room for risk. The final match against Panama looks the most favourable on paper, but the experience of major tournaments shows that matches against outsiders can be the most awkward when played under the imperative of points.
England will have to prove in this group that they can combine possession, speed and patience. Against Croatia, control of midfield will be decisive; against Ghana, defending the space behind the back line; and against Panama, the ability to break through a dense block. In such a schedule, squad depth could be a major advantage. That requires a clear hierarchy within the team, but also enough flexibility for the game plan to be adapted to the opponent.
Croatia again relying on tournament experience
According to the announcement by the Croatian Football Federation, Croatia will play in Group L against England, Panama and Ghana, and after the draw the HNS emphasised that this is a group with very different styles of play. In a separate announcement about Croatia's qualification, FIFA stated that Croatia secured its seventh appearance at the World Cup and its fourth consecutive qualification for the final tournament. That fact confirms the continuity of a national team that was a finalist in 2018 and third in the world in 2022. Although the squad has changed in the meantime, Croatia has built a reputation at major tournaments as a team that rarely loses balance in moments of crisis. Precisely that ability to manage a match will be one of its greatest values in Group L.
The first match against England can strongly define Croatia's tournament. A positive result in Dallas would give Croatia great freedom before the meeting with Panama, while a defeat would increase the importance of the second round in Toronto. Croatia enter nominally as favourites against Panama, but such matches often require a different kind of quality from duels with the strongest opponents. Patience, precision in the final third of the pitch and the ability to avoid dangerous losses of the ball are needed. The final meeting with Ghana in Philadelphia could be decisive for second place, but also for the ranking of third-placed national teams if the group is evenly balanced.
Croatia's path through the group also has additional symbolism because of England. These two national teams have met in recent years in matches of great significance, and the best-known example remains the 2018 World Cup semi-final, when Croatia reached the final after extra time. But relying only on history would be wrong. England in 2026 arrive with a different team profile, Croatia with a different generational structure, and the competition format has changed the threshold for progression. That is why the first duel in Group L will be important not only because of prestige, but also because of the practical effect on the balance of power in the rest of the tournament.
Ghana as the most dangerous opponent from the shadows
Ghana enter Group L as a national team that must not be assessed solely according to their status in the draw. When confirming qualification, FIFA stated that Ghana secured their fifth appearance at the World Cup after winning first place in African qualifying Group I, and the victory against Comoros completed their return to the global stage. Ghana have a football tradition that includes a World Cup quarter-final in 2010, but also experience of tournaments in which they have known how to fluctuate. Precisely for that reason, in Group L they can be both very dangerous and very unpredictable.
The first match against Panama is perhaps the most important one in the group for Ghana. If they win, they enter the duels with England and Croatia with a points capital that can completely change the dynamics. If they lose or draw, the pressure will shift to the meetings against the European favourites, which is a significantly harder path. Against England, Ghana will have to find a balance between closing down space and using speed in transition, while against Croatia they could seek an advantage in intensity and physical duels. However, tactical discipline will be crucial for such a plan, because both European national teams punish poor decisions in midfield.
Ghana's greatest asset could be the ability to make the match more chaotic than the favourites would like. In meetings in which the rhythm is broken by duels, quick ball transfers and set pieces, differences in individual quality can be partially reduced. This does not mean that Ghana are favourites against England or Croatia, but it does mean that they have enough tools to make the job difficult for them. In the new format, even one major result against a favourite could open the door to the knockout stage. That is why Ghana appear in this group not only as the third or fourth member of the standings, but as a national team that can decide who will take first place.
Panama seeking a result that would change the group
According to FIFA, Panama qualified for the 2026 World Cup by winning Group A in the final round of Concacaf qualifying, after a victory against El Salvador in the final round. Concacaf stated in its overview of Panama's path that Panama finished the qualifiers as the group winner and is returning to the World Cup after its appearance in 2018. For a national team that does not have a deep World Cup history like England, Croatia or Ghana, qualification itself has great value. Still, Panama in 2026 do not arrive only as a participant that wants to collect experience. In a group in which eight third-placed national teams progress, a realistic goal can be to remain in contention until the final round.
Panama's schedule begins with the meeting against Ghana, which is the match in which it will be most clearly seen whether Panama can compete for third place or more than that. A point or a victory in the opener would give them the possibility of playing against Croatia and England with different confidence. A defeat, on the other hand, would almost certainly mean that against Croatia they must seek at least one major result. In such matches, Panama will probably have to be very organised without the ball and wait for set pieces, second balls and opponents' mistakes. That is an approach that does not guarantee attractiveness, but in tournaments it can often be more effective than open play against stronger opponents.
The final meeting between Panama and England will attract special attention because it is a repeat of the duel from the 2018 World Cup. England then won convincingly, but the circumstances in 2026 may be different, especially if Panama enter the final round with points from previous matches. In such a scenario, England could be playing for first place, and Panama for historic progression or at least for a place among the best third-placed teams. Panama will therefore seek patience, discipline and a moment in Group L that can change their tournament.
Group L schedule and key points
- 17 June 2026: England – Croatia, Dallas Stadium; Ghana – Panama, Toronto Stadium.
- 23 June 2026: England – Ghana, Boston Stadium; Panama – Croatia, Toronto Stadium.
- 27 June 2026: Panama – England, New York New Jersey Stadium; Croatia – Ghana, Philadelphia Stadium.
The Group L schedule creates several clear focal points. The first is the opening in Dallas, where England and Croatia immediately play a match that can direct the battle for the top. The second is the duel between Ghana and Panama in Toronto, because the winner of that meeting gains a strong starting position in the fight for third place and potential progression. The third is the final round, in which two matches are played on the same day and in which not only the first two places could be decided, but also the overall ranking of third-placed national teams.
From a competitive standpoint, England and Croatia must avoid a scenario in which, after the first round, pressure opens up against opponents who have gained points in their mutual duel. Ghana and Panama, meanwhile, must know that their first meeting brings not only points but also a psychological advantage. If that duel ends in a draw, the group can open up further because one good match against a favourite could be enough for a push toward the knockout stage. If one of those national teams wins, it becomes a real factor in the standings, and not just an outsider waiting for a favourite's mistake. Precisely for that reason, Group L has a clear favourite on paper, but not a simple mathematical logic.
What could decide the standings
The biggest difference between the national teams in Group L could be seen in control of midfield and use of set pieces. England have depth and tempo, Croatia experience and the ability to manage the rhythm, Ghana physical power and speed, and Panama organisation and fighting spirit. In the first-round matches, it will be seen whether the favourites can immediately establish an advantage or whether the group will become complicated after just 90 minutes. If England and Croatia play to a draw, both will have to confirm their quality in matches in which victory will be expected of them. If one of them wins, the other will seek six points against Ghana and Panama under pressure.
Goal difference could also be important. Because third-placed national teams are compared across groups, the result against a nominally weaker opponent can have wider consequences. For Ghana and Panama, every goal conceded can be important in the wider ranking, so even defeats must not turn into heavy failures. In such a format, discipline, cards and the closing stages of matches gain additional weight.
Group L therefore combines tradition and ambition with the danger of the new format. England have the greatest expectations, Croatia have a tournament pedigree that must not be underestimated, Ghana have enough quality to change the rhythm of the group, and Panama know that one big day may be enough for a historic step forward. According to FIFA's official schedule, the answer to the question of who will best use such a combination of circumstances will begin to emerge on 17 June in Dallas and Toronto, and the final outcome of Group L will be known on 27 June after the matches in New York New Jersey and Philadelphia.
Sources:
- FIFA – official results of the final draw of the 2026 World Cup and the composition of Group L (link)
- FIFA – official match schedule of the 2026 World Cup and Group L dates (link)
- Croatian Football Federation – announcement about Croatia in a group with England, Ghana and Panama (link)
- FIFA – confirmation of Croatia's qualification for the 2026 World Cup and qualifying context (link)
- FIFA – confirmation of Ghana as a participant in the 2026 World Cup and qualifying data (link)
- FIFA – confirmation of Panama as a participant in the 2026 World Cup and qualifying data (link)
- Concacaf – overview of Panama's path to the 2026 World Cup (link)
- England Football – official schedule of England's matches at the 2026 World Cup (link)