When England's 2026 World Cup fixtures kick off in UK time | OneFootball

The Three Lions' World Cup campaign is just days away from commencing

The 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico is just days away from beginning, albeit the news leading up to this year's tournament hasn't all been about what could happen on the pitch.

It has been well-documented that the cost of watching one of the 48 nations - the very first time so many countries have also been involved in the so-called 'pinnacle' of football - has caused severe logistical issues for many supporters, as well as other political or financial matters.

Unsurprisingly, England are continuing to attract plenty of media spotlight ahead of the World Cup, with it being the first under the management of Thomas Tuchel, who was appointed back in October 2024 following Sir Gareth Southgate's resignation in the immediate aftermath of the UEFA Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain in Berlin's Olympiastadion.

The Three Lions are now hoping to end '60 years of hurt' under the German, having reached the quarter-final of the last tournament in Qatar in late 2022, with a controversial defeat to runners-up, France, ending the hopes and dreams of the nation on that particular occasion.

England are also one of two 'home nations' represented Stateside this year, with Scotland ending their 28-year exile of featuring at the World Cup under Steve Clarke, meaning there will be plenty of late nights for millions of supporters in the United Kingdom in the 39-day tournament.

On top of this, the expansion of the tournament to 48 nations means there are also several players from the Championship, League One and League Two set to be involved.

And, due to the obvious time differences, Football League World have got you covered with a rundown of when each of England's three matches in Group L will kick off at UK time.

England vs Croatia - Wednesday June 17th

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The first of England's three matches in Group L is a rematch of the 2018 semi-final in Moscow, which is one of just two times the Three Lions have come close to reaching the final of the major tournament since defeating West Germany on home turf in 1966.

Croatia, of course, also made it to the semi-finals in Qatar 2022, before running out of steam and suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat to a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina, who lifted the trophy days later.

The 'Vatreni' are entering their third World Cup under Zlatko Dalić, and continue to boast a squad with a nice blend of flair and experience.

This particular encounter takes place at the 'Dallas Stadium', with kick-off at UK time coming at 9PM, and coverage of said game comes on ITV1.

England vs Ghana - Tuesday June 23rd

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Tuchel's men then travel to Boston to take on Ghana, with the 'Black Stars' qualifying for the second successive edition after a previous eight-year hiatus.

They will be led by former Portugal and Real Madrid boss plus ex-Manchester United assistant, Carlos Queiroz, who was appointed in April following the dismissal of Otto Addo one month previous.

In the last tournament, the African nation failed to make it out of the group stage, coming rock-bottom of a quartet which also featured Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay.

This particular match falls at the same UK kick-off time of 9PM on Tuesday, June 23rd, and will be available to watch on BBC One.

Panama vs England - Saturday June 27th

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England's final game of Group L then takes them to the 'New York New Jersey Stadium', with sponsorship removed due to FIFA regulations.

This also sees them face off against one of their opponents in the run to the semi-finals eight years ago, with Panama's stature within the world rankings now seeing them sit as the globe's 34th-best national team ahead of the likes of Poland, Wales and Sweden.

The CONCACAF-goverened nation were defeated 6-1 in Nizhny Novgorod under Southgate, and many will hope for a similar scoreline from Tuchel's side this time around, even if pre-tournament signs haven't exactly been encouraging.

As is often the case in final group stage outings, this clash will kick off at the same time as Croatia's matchup with Ghana in Philadelphia, meaning a 10PM UK kick-off time on Saturday, June 27th, with coverage on ITV1.