2026 World Cup

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Group L

England 4-2 Croatia

AT&T Stadium, Dallas
Attendance: 70,389

England's superb performance, in the second half especially, against their toughest opponents in the group - the 2018 World Cup finalists - showed why they are one of the favourites to win this tournament for a second time.

Their big guns fired on all cylinders, with Kane and Bellingham scoring.

 

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So LeBron James is going to try to recreate Maradona's illegal slam dunk against England in the 1986 World Cup.

 

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What has let England down since 1966 is not lack of talent but lack of nerves.

England have had many great teams over the last 60 years but when it comes to Euros and World Cups the players just played nervously and basically bottled it.

But that's becoming less so nowadays. Tonight England went out on the pitch against one of the stronger teams in the tournament and just enjoyed themselves. No nerves. Just a winning mentality.

I watched the game just after work - it was a 9pm kickoff here - in my garden on a beautiful summer's evening on my phone with a few beers and they were magnificent in that second half.

If they keep on playing like that they're doing to be difficult to stop. But there's still a long way to go.

 

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England's German manager Thomas Tuchel, an ardent Anglophile who had been wanting to be England manager for years, gives a press conference after his team beat Croatia 4-2 in a magnificent performance in Dallas.

If England play like that in every match they play then they may win this thing...

 

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"England are in my top three favourites to win"



England 4-2 Croatia

An American gives his thoughts on the Group L match in Dallas in which England outclassed a strong Croatia.

Scrappy in the first half, the second half was a one-sided affair.

 

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French 1998 World Cup winner Thierry Henry and former Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, both former Premier League players, say England look dangerous in this World Cup

What must have scared Croatia was when England made substitutions: They took off two world class players and sent on another two world class players.

And it may only have been the first game of the tournament for England but people went crazy around the nation as they beat their strongest opponents in Group L.

 

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Group L

Ghana 1-0 Panama

BMO Field, Toronto
Attendance: 42,942

Ghana get three crucial points with both teams still to play the quality of England and Croatia in the group.

Panama are almost certainly out of the tournament already. They play Croatia next and then England, so they need to do something special to get out of the group.