“England must ‘respect the heartbeat’ of Croatia’s midfield,” warns Tuchel ahead of World Cup opener | OneFootball

Thomas Tuchel has warned England to be wary of Croatia's midfield as the teams prepare to meet at the 2026 World Cup.

England open their World Cup campaign against Croatia at the AT&T Stadium, in Arlington, Dallas this evening.

Croatia are a familiar opponent for England, having beaten the Three Lions in the 2018 semi-finals. The teams also met in the opening fixture of Euro 2020, as England sealed a narrow 1-0 win.

Croatia have reached at least the semi-final in each of the last twoWorld Cups, and Tuchel has warned England to respect the quality of Zlatko Dalić's side.

The England manager named the experienced core of Mateo Kovacic and Luka Modric in midfield as the 'heartbeat' of the Croatian side.

“I think it's quite obvious they still have the core midfield, with Mateo and Luka Modric,”Tuchel said.

“It shifted a little bit, if they play with a back three, toward the back. They have a very strong back three. They still have the heartbeat of the team in the middle.

“They have experience; they have experience in tournaments. They have a very experienced coach. They have traditionally strong national teams, and that's what we face.

“We have to adapt – we have to get our press right, the initiative right. We need all of it to be able to win, but we are confident. We know what it takes.”

Tuchel is aiming to become the first manager to win the World Cup with a foreign side this summer. The German said he feels privileged to have been asked to lead England's campaign this summer.

“I am still proud that the federation chose me and asked me to lead the team into this World Cup. I felt the connection to the country, to the sporting culture in England, very early.

“As soon as I started coaching in England at Chelsea, I felt this connection, and it never left me. Always a strong bond. It's a privilege to be here now."