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FourFourTwo
Sport
Richard Buxton

When are England next playing?

England play Croatia first up.

England will be looking to end 60 years of hurt this summer.

Under Thomas Tuchel's astute leadership, England head to World Cup 2026 as one of the tournament's firm favourites to go all the way for a first time since 1966.

But first, the national side have to navigate a potentially tricky group stage campaign.

Rematches dominate England's World Cup run

England successfully acclimatised to their latest major tournament with two Stateside friendlies over New Zealand and Costa Rica, winning 1-0 and 3-0 respectively.

First up for Tuchel's side is a meeting with an increasingly familiar foe when they take on Croatia at Dallas' Arlington Stadium on 17 June, kicking off at 9pm UK time.

England warmed up for the World Cup with back-to-back friendly wins (Image credit: Getty Images)

The fixture conjures memories of the 2018 World Cup semi-final between the nations which saw Zlatko Dalic's men deliver late heartbreak with a 2-1 victory in extra time.

Following on from the Croatia reunion will be England's first-ever competitive meeting with Ghana at Boston's Foxborough Stadium on 23 June with another 9pm start time.

They will round off their Group L schedule with another rematch, this time with 2018 opponents Panama at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on 27 June in a 10pm kick-off.

A Harry Kane-inspired performance in Nizhny Novgorod saw them book their place in the Round of 16 with a game to spare during a memorable run to the semi-final stage.

Should they win Group L outright, the Three Lions would face the team that finishes in third place from Groups E, H, I or J - all of which contain fellow tournament favourites.

England captain Kane will be dreaming of making history (Image credit: Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Germany, Spain, France, holders Argentina and Portugal are widely expected to top their respective standings which would could extend England's potential victory route.

Tuchel's men would also be strongly fancied in the Round of 16 with a meeting from either Group A's winners or the best third-placed team from Groups C, E, F, H or I.

Could this finally be England's year?

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