England team vs Croatia accidentally shared just hours before World Cup opener
Thomas Tuchel has made some big decisions ahead of England’s first match in Group L against Croatia, with Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka expected to miss out. Even though the tournament started nearly a week ago, England hasn’t played their first World Cup match yet.
The Three Lions had easy wins in their warm-up games, beating New Zealand 1-0 and Costa Rica 3-0, then winning 6-0 against Miami FC in a closed-door match. Now, on Wednesday (June 17), England finally start their World Cup journey with a challenging game against Croatia.
England and Croatia have a history of tough matches, including the 2018 World Cup semi-final, the Euro 2020 group stage, and a crucial Euro 2008 qualifier that ended 3-2 to Croatia, causing England to miss out on that tournament.
Croatia has done well in recent World Cups, reaching the final in 2018 and the semi-finals in 2022. Their team includes stars like Luka Modrić, Ivan Perišić, and Mateo Kovačić.
Before the game, BBC Sport says Marc Guéhi might lose his spot in central defense, with Ezri Konsa expected to pair up with John Stones. The Daily Mail reports that Anthony Gordon will likely start on the left wing instead of Marcus Rashford, and Noni Madueke might play right wing ahead of Bukayo Saka, who’s had some fitness issues.
Captain Harry Kane is set to lead the attack, with Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice in midfield. Jude Bellingham is likely to take the No. 10 role over Morgan Rogers. Nico O’Reilly and Reece James are expected to play full-back, with Jordan Pickford in goal.
Tuchel has already made some bold choices for his 26-man squad, leaving out Premier League stars like Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, and Harry Maguire. In May, he said, “I can promise every fan we have 26 fully committed players who know their roles and are ready to work together. We have a lot of young talent who’ve won titles at the Under-21 level, plus specialists for different match situations like set-pieces and penalties.”
After playing Croatia, England will face Ghana in Foxborough on June 23, then wrap up the group stage against Panama in New Jersey on June 27.