Teams · Group L
England
Three Lions
England, 1966 champions, reached the 2018 semifinals and 2022 quarterfinals and have been back-to-back European Championship finalists. A deep, talented squad keeps them among the favourites at every tournament.
England’s group path
England starts in Group L with Croatia, Ghana, Panama. They enter the group as the #1 team by MatchupSim power rating, which makes the finishing position especially important: first place, second place and a possible third-place route can each send them into a very different round-of-32 matchup.
Key facts
- Confederation
- Europe (UEFA)
- Group
- Group L · power-ranked #1 of 4
- World Cup titles
- 1
- Best finish
- Champions (1966)
- Qualified via
- UEFA qualifying
- Power rating (PWR)
- 90 · Elo 1980
- Manager
- Thomas Tuchel
Players to watch
- Harry Kane — Captain, striker (Bayern Munich)
- Jude Bellingham — Midfield (Real Madrid)
- Bukayo Saka — Winger (Arsenal)
Group L opponents
Group-stage fixtures
2026 outlook
Topping Group L, England carry the squad depth and recent tournament consistency to challenge for the trophy.
Prediction angles to test
Start with a favorites run, then test one aggressive version where England wins Group L and one conservative version where they finish lower in the table. Comparing those paths shows whether their best chance comes from group control, a softer runner-up route, or surviving as one of the best third-place teams.
Simulate England’s World Cup
Think England can go all the way — or crash out early? Set their Group L finish in the simulator and watch the bracket re-wire around your call, or build a full prediction all the way to the final.