World Cup 2026 Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama

Ask anyone in an Irish pub which World Cup group they will follow most closely, and the answer is Group L. Not because of any lingering affection for England — the relationship between Irish and English football is far too complicated for that — but because the Premier League is the soundtrack to Irish sporting life. Every Saturday at 3pm, every Monday night, every deadline-day drama: the players in England’s squad are the same players Irish supporters watch week in, week out. When Harry Kane leads the line or Declan Rice orchestrates the midfield, half the country has an opinion formed through thousands of hours of club football. Group L is Ireland’s window into this World Cup, and the view includes Croatia’s golden generation possibly taking their final bow, Ghana’s explosive athleticism, and Panama’s return to the tournament.

England: The Perennial Nearly Men

I have covered England’s tournament campaigns since 2014, and each one follows the same arc: genuine hope, a decent run, and a knockout-round exit that leaves the nation debating what went wrong for another four years. Semi-finalists in 2018, finalists at Euro 2020, quarter-finalists in 2022, finalists again at Euro 2024 — the trajectory is clear, and yet the trophy cabinet remains empty since 1966. The weight of that 60-year drought hangs over every England squad, and it will hang over this one in North America.

The squad is arguably the deepest England have ever assembled. Jude Bellingham has matured into a midfielder who can decide matches single-handedly, his combination of physical power, technical quality, and goalscoring instinct making him the most complete English player since Paul Gascoigne. Bukayo Saka’s development at Arsenal has been remarkable — he is now the primary creative outlet from the right side, cutting inside onto his left foot with a predictability that defenders still cannot prevent. Phil Foden’s ability to find space between the lines gives England a luxury that few international sides possess, though his best form has sometimes eluded him in tournament football.

Harry Kane remains the captain and the focal point of the attack at 32. His record at major tournaments — 12 goals in World Cups and European Championships combined — makes him the most reliable big-game striker England have produced. The concern is pace: Kane has never been rapid, but his movement and finishing compensate for any lack of speed. Behind him, Declan Rice and Kobbie Mainoo form a midfield partnership that balances defensive solidity with progressive passing, and the defence — built around John Stones and a second centre-back drawn from a pool including Marc Guehi and Levi Colwill — is organised if not impervious.

England’s odds to win the World Cup sit around 5/1, making them second or third favourites behind France and alongside Brazil and Argentina. To win Group L, they are priced at 2/5, which reflects the significant quality gap between themselves and the other three teams. I consider that price fair — England have not lost a World Cup group-stage match since 2014, and their squad depth is sufficient to rotate without a noticeable drop in quality. The value in England-related markets lies in the specifics: England to win all three group matches is around 11/4, and their record of scoring in every group-stage match at recent tournaments supports that bet.

Croatia: Golden Generation’s Last Dance?

Luka Modric turned 40 during the qualification cycle, and even he — a man who has defied the ageing process as stubbornly as any footballer alive — cannot run World Cup midfields forever. Croatia’s 2026 campaign feels like the final chapter of an extraordinary story that began with their run to the 2018 World Cup final and continued through a 2022 semi-final and a Nations League finals appearance. The golden generation has given Croatia results that a nation of four million people has no statistical right to achieve, and Group L could be where the last page turns.

Modric’s influence has inevitably waned in terms of minutes played, but his ability to control tempo and deliver decisive passes in tight spaces remains intact. The transition to life without Modric — or with a part-time Modric coming off the bench — is something Croatia have been preparing for, with Lovro Majer and Mario Pasalic sharing the creative burden in recent matches. Mateo Kovacic, still operating at an elite level in the Premier League, anchors the midfield with the positional intelligence that was once Modric’s exclusive domain. Up front, Andrej Kramaric’s clinical finishing in the Bundesliga gives Croatia a reliable source of goals, though they lack the squad depth that England enjoy — if Kramaric is injured or out of form, Croatia’s plan B in attack is significantly weaker.

Defensively, Josko Gvardiol has established himself as one of the world’s best centre-backs at Manchester City, combining physicality, pace, and ball-carrying ability in a package that few defenders can match. His partnership with whichever second centre-back Zlatko Dalic selects — likely Josip Sutalo or Duje Caleta-Car — will determine whether Croatia can contain England’s attacking firepower. The full-back positions are less settled, and Croatia’s vulnerability to pace on the flanks was exposed at Euro 2024, where Spain’s wingers created chances almost at will.

Croatia to finish second in Group L is priced at 6/4, and I lean towards that being slight value. They are a class above Ghana and Panama, and while they are unlikely to beat England, their ability to manage matches — to control possession and dictate tempo — should yield enough points to secure automatic qualification. Croatia to qualify is around 4/9, and that represents the safest of the longer-priced options in this group.

Ghana: West African Firepower

Ghana’s World Cup history is vivid and dramatic — the penalty miss by Asamoah Gyan against Uruguay in 2010 remains one of the tournament’s most emotionally charged moments. Sixteen years later, Ghana return with a young squad that plays with the fearlessness of a side that has nothing to lose and everything to prove. Their qualification through the CAF pathway included victories over Nigeria and Cameroon, two results that demonstrated both mental fortitude and tactical maturity.

The squad’s strength lies in its attacking options. Mohammed Kudus, whose combination of power and skill at West Ham has made him one of the Premier League’s most watchable players, operates as the creative heartbeat of this side. His ability to drive past defenders in transition gives Ghana a counter-attacking threat that neither Croatia nor Panama will relish facing. Felix Afena-Gyan and Antoine Semenyo provide pace on the flanks, while Thomas Partey — if fit, which is never a certainty — offers the midfield authority that connects defence to attack.

Ghana’s weakness is defensive consistency. They conceded goals in clusters during qualification, keeping clean sheets against weaker opponents but leaking two or three goals when pressed by quality sides. Against England’s depth of attacking talent and Croatia’s ability to move the ball through midfield, Ghana’s defence will be under sustained pressure. The likely outcome is that Ghana win their match against Panama, compete energetically against Croatia, and lose to England — a sequence that leaves them on three or four points and fighting for a best-third-place spot.

From a betting standpoint, Ghana offer over/under opportunities rather than outright value. Their matches tend to produce goals — an average of 3.1 per game during qualification — and the over 2.5 goals market in Ghana vs Panama should be available at around evens. Ghana to finish third in the group is priced at 5/2, which feels about right given the competition from Croatia for the second automatic spot.

Panama: The Central American Outsiders

Panama’s 2018 World Cup debut in Russia was a celebration of national identity more than competitive football — they lost all three group matches and conceded 11 goals. Eight years on, the squad has improved, though not to the extent that anyone should expect a radically different outcome in Group L. Their CONCACAF qualification campaign relied on defensive discipline and set-piece efficiency, two qualities that translate to World Cup football but rarely produce upsets against sides with the individual talent that England, Croatia, and Ghana all possess.

The squad lacks a genuine star name, and that is both their limitation and their strength. Without the pressure of individual expectation, Panama play as a collective — well-drilled, hard to break down, and committed to making every match as uncomfortable as possible for the opposition. Jose Fajardo leads the line with the physical directness that characterises Central American football, while Adalberto Carrasquilla’s energy in midfield gives Panama a player capable of disrupting the passing rhythms of more technical sides.

Realistically, Panama’s target is a single point from three matches, and they will be satisfied with a competitive showing that avoids the kind of heavy defeats they suffered in 2018. For bettors, Panama’s matches present handicap opportunities — England to win by two or more goals against Panama is likely to be around 4/7, and that reflects the probable margin rather than offering genuine value. The match between Ghana and Panama is the one where Panama have the best chance of a result, and the draw in that fixture at around 5/2 represents their most plausible route to a point.

Fixtures and Schedule in IST

Group L fixtures will be played at US venues, with exact dates, locations, and kick-off times to be confirmed by FIFA. Based on previous scheduling patterns, England’s matches will receive primetime US slots — typically 9pm or 10pm ET, which translates to 2am or 3am IST. These are the matches that will test Irish supporters’ dedication. If you are planning to watch every Group L fixture live, take the week off work or accept that your mornings will be written off. The Croatia vs Panama and Ghana vs Panama fixtures are likely to receive earlier time slots — 3pm to 6pm ET, meaning 8pm to 11pm IST — which are far more civilised for an Irish audience.

Group L Odds and Qualification Prediction

Group L has the clearest hierarchy of any group at this tournament. England are the overwhelming favourites, Croatia the likely runners-up, and Ghana and Panama are competing for third place with contrasting chances. My model reflects this, with England topping the group in 74% of simulations and Croatia finishing second in 58%.

My predicted finishing order is England first with nine points, Croatia second with six, Ghana third with three, and Panama fourth with zero. England’s squad depth and tournament experience make them the safest group winner bet at the tournament — they have the luxury of rotating without weakening, and their progression through the group should be serene.

The value bet in Group L is Ghana to qualify at 5/2. The expanded format’s third-place pathway works in Ghana’s favour: beat Panama, stay competitive against Croatia and England, and three points plus a goal difference around zero should be sufficient. Ghana’s counter-attacking style — built around Kudus’s drives and the pace of their wingers — is ideally suited to matches against possession-dominant sides, and they may cause Croatia more problems than the market expects.

England vs Croatia on the final matchday is the standout fixture, and if both sides have already secured qualification, it could become a tactical chess match where the outcome matters less than the performance. The draw in that scenario at around 5/2 is worth monitoring as the group unfolds. For a detailed look at England’s full tournament prospects, squad breakdown, and outright World Cup 2026 group analysis, the groups pillar page covers all twelve groups.