England kick off their World Cup 2026 campaign tonight with a stern test against Croatia as Thomas Tuchel dreams of ending the country’s 60-year wait for glory on the biggest stage.
The Three Lions go into their opener off the back of a bitter injury blow, with defender Tino Livramento ruled out for the entire tournament with a calf problem. Tuchel has called up Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah as a surprise replacement, with Trent Alexander-Arnold snubbed.
But as Ballon d’Or-chasing Harry Kane begins his bid for the Golden Boot, 38-year-old Lionel Messi has set the bar for the World Cup after hitting a stunning hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria, equalling Miroslav Klose’s all-time goalscoring record of 16 at the tournament.
Elsewhere, Ghana saw their appeal over the decision to deny Thomas Partey entry into Canada rejected, meaning he will miss the country’s opener against Panama tonight.
Scotland’s Dykes vows to get World Cup tattoo
Lyndon Dykes, sporting a bald new look that he says his Scotland team-mates are a fan of, has vowed to add to his already heavily-tattooed body with a World Cup tattoo
“I haven’t got one yet but I’ll definitely get one,” he said.
“I need to get a few more boys involved and I’m sure I’ll get a few.
“We could maybe get a couple of skinheads as well, just get a whole team of skinheads and everyone with a tattoo. That would be brilliant.
“Obviously I’ve got loads of tattoos but I’ve got plenty of space so I’m sure there will be a World Cup tattoo somewhere.”
Asked who was least likely in the squad to shave their head, Dykes replied: “(Scott) McTominay, all day. It’s all about the looks for him now.”
The stage for England vs Croatia
England kick their Worst Cup campaign off at Dallas’ AT&T Stadium tonight. Here’s a quick rundown of the venue:
Capacity: 94,000
Matches: Five group, two last 32, one last 16, one semi-final
Info: Info: Features a retractable roof, which will be crucial in the Texas heat. Home to the Dallas Cowboys.
World Cup 2026 kits: Every home and away shirt ranked and rated
Lawrence Ostlere has done what he does best and has reviewed every home and away shirt for each of the 48 teams competing at this summer’s World Cup.
From worst to best, from the visually upsetting to the optically arousing, here are our World Cup 2026 kit rankings.
Kane relieved to have ended trophy hoodoo
“For me personally, to have that weight off my shoulders is important,” Kane said in relation to winning his first trophies as a player.
“Especially this year having the trophies and having the cup final where I scored a hat-trick, my first big moment in a final – I think that is only going to help me as a player.
“Also, I think the perception around me has probably changed in the last few years.
“The fact that I’ve won those trophies means I’m seen a bit differently from the outside or by people around, and maybe even team-mates, I’m not quite sure.”
Striking fear into the opposition
Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic and Luka Modric have recognised two of England’s primary dangers: Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.
“They have the best striker in the world, they have Kane and Kane can do a hell of a lot,” said Dalic. “We will do a lot, we will do our best not only to defend ourselves but to attack, to go forward.
“There will be set pieces, which will be quite difficult but we are prepared for that. I expect a great game and it will be a great preparation for the next two games in the group.”
Probed on Thomas Tuchel’s selection choice between Morgan Rogers and Bellingham, Modric said: “I do not like to meddle in the decisions of Thomas Tuchel. England have great players, they are phenomenal players.
“I have played with Jude for two years and I know what sort of top-notch player he is and a character as well. He is a great threat to us.”
Rabiot joins Vinicius Jr in venting about New York pitch
France midfielder Adrien Rabiot raised concerns about the quality of the pitch at MetLife Stadium following their win over Senegal, echoing Brazil forward Vinicius Jr’s frustration with the dryness of the surface.
“The pitch… I don’t even know if you can call it that. It felt more like an artificial surface — quite hard and quite rigid,” Rabiot told reporters.
Dider Deschamps added that he thought the pitch had a “special surface”, presuming there was concrete underneath that caused the bounce of the ball to be “a bit different”.
Win a copy of Miguel Delaney’s States of Play
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Sprinkler scaries
A sprinkler malfunctioned at Gillette Stadium during half-time of Tuesday’s clash between Norway and Iraq.
A large stream of water spurted for several seconds from a sprinkler on the edge of the area in front of the goal in which Erling Haaland scored twice to give Norway a 2-1 lead.
The rest of the sprinklers appeared to work as expected, but all of them had to be turned off to prevent further damage from the malfunctioning one.
Lionel Messi explains why he was crying during World Cup hat-trick
“Honestly, completely unrelated to the sport, I went through some difficult, complicated days,” said Messi.
“I’m grateful to the entire delegation, to my teammates. They were always there for me, as always. They gave me a lot of strength to get through this, and that’s all.”
Group L guide
At long last, a whistle will be blown to get proceedings in Group L underway, where England reside and Thomas Tuchel will hope to steer them safely into the knockouts, preserving as much energy as possible for the challenges ahead.
This Panama team look like a tougher nut than their predecessors but, conversely, Ghana are not the same force they were when only the hand of Luis Suarez denied them a semi-final spot in 2010. There is value in winning Group L, given that the runners-up would likely be on a collision course with tournament favourites Spain in the last 16.
Here’s a full rundown of England’s opponents as well as fixture details for Group L:
