England and Croatia have confirmed their starting line-ups ahead of their big 2026 FIFA World Cup Group L clash. At the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, in a game billed as a rematch of the 2018 semifinal, England line up in a 4-2-3-1 and Croatia in a 3-4-2-1.
Thomas Tuchel's England start with Harry Kane leading the attack. Jude Bellingham plays behind him, with Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke out wide. Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson form the midfield pair, while John Stones and Ezri Konsa start at centre-back. Jordan Pickford is in goal. Tino Livramento misses out through injury.
In Zlatko Dalić's Croatia, the experienced names stand out. Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić operate in central midfield, with captain Modrić set to dictate the play. Petar Musa starts up front, with Martin Baturina and Petar Sučić behind him. Joško Gvardiol anchors the defence, while Dominik Livaković is in goal. Experienced Ivan Perišić and Josip Stanišić feature in the wide areas.
Just a few places separate the two in the FIFA rankings, making this one of the most evenly balanced matches of the group stage. Refereed by France's Clément Turpin, the match is a crucial start to both teams' Group L campaigns.
Starting XIs
England (4-2-3-1): Pickford; James, Stones, Konsa, O'Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Madueke, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
Croatia (3-4-2-1): Livaković; Stanišić, Šutalo, Gvardiol; Vuskovic, Modrić, Kovačić, Perišić; Sučić, Baturina; Musa
Image: sofascore.com
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