England route to 2026 World Cup final: Three Lions could face Brazil after fixtures finalised | OneFootball

England’s group stage performance will dictate possible path to World Cup glory

England have discovered their likeliest routes to the 2026 World Cup final as the remaining berths at this summer’s expanded tournament were confirmed by qualification play-off ties this week.

Having long since booked their own ticket to football’s biggest show, the Three Lions laboured through a pair of winless friendlies against Uruguay and Japan during the March international break.

Elsewhere in Europe and around the globe, nations contested win-or-go-home bouts aiming to secure one of the final available spots at this year’s World Cup.

Sweden will be in better spirits having seen off Poland as Turkiye edged past Kosovo in the other European qualifier, while the intercontinental ties concluded with DR Congo defeating Jamaica and Iraq beating Bolivia.

But what does all of that mean for England?

Standard Sport has analysed the World Cup fixture bracket to assess how Thomas Tuchel’s men could reach the final as either the winners, runners-up or third-placed team in Group L, which also contains Croatia, Ghana and Panama.

England were beaten by Japan after drawing with Uruguay

The FA via Getty Images

Past the group stage, we’ve used world rankings as the deciding factor when listing England’s possible opponents.

It’s also worth noting that due to FIFA’s seeding of the tournament, the Three Lions cannot meet holders Argentina or Euro 2024 winners Spain into the semi-finals or France until the final, if all four countries finish top of their respective groups.

Without further ado, here are England’s possible routes to the 2026 World Cup final...

England as Group L winners

All dates and times BST

Group stage

June 17: England vs Croatia (9pm, Dallas)

June 23: England vs Ghana (9pm, Boston)

June 27: Panama vs England (10pm, East Rutherford)

Round of 32

July 1: England vs Group E/H/I/J/K third place (5pm, Atlanta)

There are hundreds of possible combinations when it comes to how the eight best third-placed teams could advance from 12 total groups at this World Cup.

However, we do know England - should they win Group L - would meet the team who finishes third in one of Groups E, H, I, J or K for a round of 32 clash in Atlanta, Georgia.

If we put Germany, Spain, France, Argentina and Portugal through as hypothetical winners of those groups, it leaves Ecuador or Ivory Coast (Group E), Uruguay or Saudi Arabia (Group H), Senegal or Norway (Group I), Algeria or Austria (Group J) and Colombia or DR Congo (Group K) as the likeliest third-placed teams unless Curacao, Cabo Verde, Iraq, Jordan or Uzbekistan spring an upset.

Round of 16

July 6: England vs Mexico (1am, Mexico City)

If England make it past that as yet undecided round of 32 opponent, it would be either the winners of Group A or the best third-placed team from Group C/E/F/H/I that awaits them in Mexico City in the last-16.

Tournament co-hosts Mexico, currently 15th in the FIFA world rankings, are favourites to emerge from Group A, which also contains South Africa, South Korea and the Czech Republic.

Should El Tricolor win their group, they will also fancy their chances of beating any of the third-placed teams at the first knockout stage given that, too, will be played on home soil in Mexico City.

Mexico will fancy their chances of a deep World Cup run on home soil

AFP via Getty Images

Aside from the Group E, H or I contenders listed previously, the other challengers to the Group A winners could be the likes of Morocco or Scotland from Group C (which Brazil are favoured to win) as well as Japan or Sweden from Group F (which the Netherlands are favoured to win).

Quarter-finals

July 11: England vs Brazil (10pm, Miami)

Reach the quarter-finals, and footballing pedigree dictates that Brazil are the likeliest team to meet England in Miami.

The opponent in this tie would be whoever wins the quarter-final match in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 5, which will be contested by the Group C winners or the Group F runners-up versus the runners-up of Groups E or I.

Brazil - if they first finish above Morocco, Scotland and Haiti in Group C, of course - would therefore be in with a strong shout of reaching this point if they can see off Japan or Sweden, who will probably be fighting for second in Group F unless the Dutch slip up.

From Group E, assuming Germany finish top, Ivory Coast are the likeliest runners-up ahead of Ecuador. From Group I, it should be either of Senegal or Norway provided France finish first there.

In short, then, England would face Brazil in the quarter-finals if the Selecao win Group C, then beat the Group F runners-up followed by the victor of the Group E/I runners-up clash.

Semi-finals

July 15: England vs Argentina (8pm, Atlanta)

Put simply to avoid running through all of the many possible permutations at this stage, if England reach the World Cup semi-finals then their strongest possible opponents on paper would be one of Argentina (Group J) or Portugal (Group K), who could meet in a Kansas City quarter-final.

Lionel Messi is bidding to lead Argentina to World Cup glory once more

Getty Images

It may also, however, be a Group B winner like Canada or Switzerland, a potential runner-up from Groups D/G/H like the USA, Egypt or Uruguay, or a ‘dark horse’ third-place team from one of several groups.

Final

July 19: England vs Spain (8pm, East Rutherford)

Make it all the way to the World Cup final, and England will surely have an almighty match-up on their hands no matter the opponent.

Spain or France will be among the favourites to reach this stage, making those two England’s likeliest opponents if the Three Lions win Group L.

Spain star Lamine Yamal is aiming to add a World Cup title to his Euro-winning CV

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England as Group L runners-up

All dates and times BST

Group stage

June 17: England vs Croatia (9pm, Dallas)

June 23: England vs Ghana (9pm, Boston)

June 27: Panama vs England (10pm, East Rutherford)

Round of 32

July 2: England vs Colombia (12am, Toronto)

If England finish second in Group L, they would move into the other half of the knockout bracket and take on the Group K runners-up in Toronto.

That’s likely to be Colombia, who are tipped to finish second behind Portugal, with underdogs DR Congo and Uzbekistan the other options here.

Round of 16

July 6: England vs Spain (8pm, Dallas)

Win that encounter in Canada, and England would face either the Group H champions or Group J runners-up in Dallas.

Spain are favourites to be on that particular ticket in the former category, assuming they get the better of Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Cabo Verde in their group and then clear one of Austria, Algeria or Jordan at the first knock-out hurdle.

If Argentina slip into second in Group J behind one of that aforementioned trio, they too could be a last-16 opponent for England in this scenario.

Quarter-finals

July 10: England vs Belgium (8pm, Los Angeles)

Finishing second in Group L and then winning their first two knockout ties would earn England a trip to Los Angeles, where they would most likely face the winner of either Group D or Group G in the quarter-finals.

Those groups are harder to call than some, but co-hosts USA will hope to top their Group D pot ahead of Paraguay, Australia and Türkiye while Belgium are expected to do the same against Egypt, Iran and New Zealand.

For the sake of argument, we’ll say it’s the Belgians - currently ninth in FIFA’s world rankings - in pole position for this spot, though any surprise third-placed teams could of course change the outlook.

Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku is one of several Belgian players familiar to an English football audience

BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images

Semi-finals

July 14: England vs France (8pm, Dallas)

Continue down this particular pathway, and a return to Dallas for the first semi-final is on the cards for Tuchel’s side.

There, any of Group E’s Germany, Group I’s France or the Netherlands of Group F are among their possible opponents.

Final

England vs Argentina (8pm, East Rutherford)

If England manage to achieve all of the above, five-time winners Brazil or reigning world champions Argentina are probably the likeliest two teams to be standing between them and glory.

England as Group L’s third-placed team

All dates and times BST

Group stage

June 17: England vs Croatia (9pm, Dallas)

June 23: England vs Ghana (9pm, Boston)

June 27: Panama vs England (10pm, East Rutherford)

Round of 32

July 4: England vs Portugal (2.30am, Kansas City)

There are numerous potential routes England could take to the World Cup final if they scrape through to the knockouts having finished third in Group L.

The third-placed qualifications won’t be officially confirmed until the group stage has concluded, but such an outcome for Tuchel and Co looks like it would set up a showdown in Kansas City with whomever wins Group K between Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan and DR Congo).

The 2026 World Cup will likely be Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo’s last

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Round of 16

July : England vs Switzerland (9pm, Vancouver)

A win there would be followed by a last-16 clash with either the Group B winner (Switzerland, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina or Qatar) or a third-placed team from Group E/F/G/I/J.

Quarter-finals

July 12: England vs Argentina (12am, Kansas City)

Progression would secure a trip back to Kansas City for the last quarter-final, against the winner of a last-16 match between the Group J winners or Group H runners-up and the runners-up of either Group D or Group G.

On paper, we would expect Argentina to emerge from there.

Semi-finals

July 15: England vs Brazil (8pm, Atlanta)

There would be no let-up for the Three Lions if they get past Lionel Messi and his teammates, though, with Brazil their likeliest opponent in an Atlanta semi-final.

Final

England vs Spain/France (8pm, East Rutherford)

And if they recover from a third-placed group stage finish to beat all of those footballing heavyweights en route to the final, England would have the pleasure of facing the last team standing on the other side of the bracket, likely to be either European champions Spain or previous World Cup runners-up France.