Group L Preview

🏆 Favourite: England

Thomas Tuchel's appointment as England manager in early 2025 — replacing Gareth Southgate after the Euro 2024 final loss to Spain — was the most significant development in English football since the 2016 appointment of Sam Allardyce. Tuchel, one of the world's most decorated club managers, was given the task of finally unlocking England's potential. The squad he inherited is extraordinary: Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid is one of the best players in the world, Harry Kane at Bayern Munich is a guaranteed 30+ goals per season striker, Phil Foden at Manchester City is a Ballon d'Or contender, and Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice at Arsenal give Tuchel two of the most complete players in their respective positions at the tournament. Tuchel's challenge is to get all these attacking stars aligned in a coherent system — and to avoid the defensive uncertainty that has cost England at previous major tournaments. If he can, England are genuine World Cup winners. If not, the familiar story of underachievement continues.

🌟 Dark Horse: Ghana

Ghana's 2026 World Cup squad is their most talented since the 2010 side that reached the quarter-finals — and Iñaki Williams' eligibility is the key difference. The Athletic Bilbao striker — who chose to represent Ghana over Spain, where he was born and raised — gives Ghana an entirely different attacking dimension. His pace, power, and proven quality at the highest level make him one of the most dangerous strikers at the tournament. Combined with Mohammed Kudus's creativity and André Ayew's experience, Ghana have the firepower to challenge Croatia for second place in Group L. The question is whether the defence — which has been Ghana's weakness at recent tournaments — can hold against England and Croatia's quality.

⚔️ Key Battle: England vs Croatia

The group decider. Tuchel's tactical setup against Dalić's experience. England's attacking quality against Croatia's midfield control. If Tuchel gets the balance right between attacking ambition and defensive security, England win this group comfortably. If Croatia's midfield — even without Modrić for the full 90 minutes — can control the tempo and limit England's counter-attacks, they make it a genuine contest.

❓ Key Question: Can Modrić still control a World Cup game at 40?

Luka Modrić's career has been one of football's great journeys — from war-torn childhood in Zadar to winning the Ballon d'Or in 2018 and leading Croatia to the World Cup final. At 40, he is still playing at Real Madrid — and still excellent. But the physical demands of a World Cup group stage — three games in eight days — are significant for a player at his age. Dalić must manage Modrić's minutes carefully: enough to influence the decisive games, not so much that he's exhausted by the time the knockout rounds arrive. If Modrić is at his best for the key games, Croatia are a genuine threat to England. If his age finally catches up with him, Croatia fall short.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England

Harry Kane — Bayern Munich's prolific striker, Kane's finishing, hold-up play, and set-piece delivery make him England's primary goal threat. His record of 60+ goals in 100 appearances for England is extraordinary — he is the defining player of this generation of English football.

Jude Bellingham — Real Madrid's midfield star, Bellingham's combination of energy, tackling, and attacking quality makes him one of the most complete young players in the world. His partnership with Rice in midfield and his ability to get forward and support Kane are the keys to Tuchel's system.

Phil Foden — Manchester City's creative genius, Foden's vision, dribbling, and eye for goal make him England's most technically gifted player. His ability to play across the front three gives Tuchel the tactical flexibility that previous England managers have lacked.

🇭🇷 Croatia

Luka Modrić — Real Madrid's legendary midfielder, Modrić's vision, passing range, and ability to control games from deep make him one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. At 40, his tournament intelligence and set-piece delivery are still elite. His final World Cup chapter will be one of the great stories of 2026.

Mateo Kovačić — Manchester City's combative midfielder, Kovačić's energy, tackling, and ability to carry the ball forward give Croatia the platform to play without depending on Modrić for the full 90 minutes. He is the bridge between Modrić's era and the next generation.

Joško Gvardiol — Manchester City's defensive prodigy, Gvardiol's pace, aerial ability, and ability to play out from the back make him one of the most complete centre-backs at the tournament. His partnership with Duje Ćaleta-Car is the foundation of Croatia's defence.

🇬🇭 Ghana

Iñaki Williams — Athletic Bilbao's pace-setter, Williams chose to represent Ghana over Spain and his decision has transformed the Black Stars' attacking capability. His Premier League-proven pace, power, and physical presence give Ghana a striker option that previous Ghana squads didn't have.

Mohammed Kudus — West Ham's creative talent, Kudus's dribbling, vision, and ability to score from wide areas make him Ghana's primary creative player. His partnership with Williams — Kudus providing the service, Williams converting — is the key attacking relationship.

André Ayew — Le Havre's experienced striker, Ayew's tournament experience from the 2015 and 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finals and the 2014 World Cup is invaluable to a young Ghana squad. His leadership and finishing give Ghana a second option in attack.

🇵🇦 Panama

Team Cohesion — Panama qualified for their second World Cup with a campaign built on defensive organisation, discipline, and team cohesion. Their squad is built around players from the Panamanian domestic league and Central American clubs, with limited top-level European experience but enormous national pride. They will compete with organisation and passion — and make England and Croatia work for their wins.

1st: England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Tuchel and this squad are the clear Group L winners. Kane, Bellingham, Foden, Saka, and Rice give England more quality than anyone in the group. The question is whether Tuchel can translate quality into trophies — and our answer is yes. Top spot and a deep run into the tournament.

2nd: Croatia 🇭🇷

Modrić's final World Cup chapter will be compelling — and Croatia's second-place finish in Group L is a fitting conclusion to his international career. Gvardiol and Kovačić ensure the transition to the next generation is smooth.

3rd: Ghana 🇬🇭

Williams and Kudus give Ghana a genuine two-goal threat, and their 2010 quarter-final experience counts for something. But the step up to face England and Croatia is too large — they miss out despite having one of Africa's most talented attacks.

4th: Panama 🇵🇦

Their second World Cup is another landmark for Panamanian football. They will compete with organisation and passion, but the quality gap is too large at this level. A valuable experience that will drive Central American football forward.