World Cup 2026 LIVE: England fans take over Dallas ahead of opener against Croatia | OneFootball

England kick off their World Cup campaign tonight with a stern test against Croatia as Thomas Tuchel dreams of ending the country’s 60-year wait for glory on the biggest stage.

The Three Lions go into their opener off the back of a bitter injury blow, with defender Tino Livramento ruled out of the entire tournament with a calf problem. Tuchel has called Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah as a surprise replacement, with Trent Alexander-Arnold snubbed.

But as Ballon d’Or-chasing Harry Kane begins his bid for the Golden Boot, 38-year-old Lionel Messi has set the bar for the World Cup after hitting a stunning hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria, equalling Miroslav Klose’s all-time goalscoring record of 16 at the tournament.

Elsewhere, Ghana saw their appeal over the decision to deny Thomas Partey entry into Canada rejected, meaning he will miss the country’s opener against Panama tonight.

England fans take over Dallas

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(PA Wire)

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Will Castle17 June 2026 10:00

How will England line up against Croatia in their 2026 World Cup opener?

The wait is almost over. Eighteen months after he was unveiled as England manager, Thomas Tuchel will lead the Three Lions into the 2026 World Cup on Wednesday, with the express goal of “putting a second star on the shirt”. For fans, the extreme psychological sport that is watching England in a major tournament begins.

Qualification was perfect – no draws, no defeats, no goals conceded – but some of England’s friendly performances have been uninspiring and even at this late stage, there remain some questions over exactly who makes up England’s best XI as they prepare to face Croatia in Dallas.

Lawrence Ostlere17 June 2026 09:52

The old school trait turning Kylian Mbappe into Monsieur World Cup

There is something old-fashioned about a player defined by the World Cup. Kylian Mbappe can seem a face of sleek modernity, but perhaps he is a throwback footballer. The World Cup is his stage; perhaps no footballer for decades can say that to the same extent.

As Mbappe claimed France’s goalscoring record, and advanced past Pele and Just Fontaine’s totals in World Cups to draw level with Gerd Muller, Didier Deschamps talked of the global audience. Mbappe, he said, did not want to pass Olivier Giroud’s tally for Les Bleus in a friendly. He did it instead against Senegal in the World Cup, in the world’s most famous city. He can prosper when the eyes of the footballing planet are on one match, and one alone. And, in an ever more crowded fixture list, that is rarely the case. Mbappe started this tournament with a very different double of high class. “In this match with a global audience, he has a real aura,” noted Deschamps.

His aura, unlike his peers’, comes from such days. Some of the legends of earlier generations were defined more by World Cups. Santos and Napoli fans may disagree but Pele and Diego Maradona were. Paolo Rossi, Mario Kempes and Fontaine too. For audiences outside South America, Garrincha and Jairzinho were always going to be. For those outside England, Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst are.

Then there is Mbappe; perhaps headed for a third World Cup final in a competition that is the ultimate, but not the constant in the conversation. For much of the time, it can seem the power dynamic between club and country has shifted decisively away from the international game. The Champions League has felt dominant in the age of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Ballons d’Or don’t always tend to be won by World Cup winners: Messi did in 2023, for the 2022 tournament, but before him Fabio Cannavaro had been the last to do that particular double.

Richard Jolly in New York17 June 2026 09:45

Why did Tuchel pick Chalobah to replace Livramento?

Thomas Tuchel explained his decision to call up Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah, a centre-back, to England’s 2026 World Cup squad following an injury to full-back Tino Livramento.

“Tino has an injury of four or five weeks which is unfortunately too long to reintegrate him into the squad,” Tuchel said.

“We called Trevoh Chalobah because it frees up Jarrell Quansah to play full-back on both sides, and Djed Spence can play full-back on both sides, so it gives us full coverage in defence.”

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Will Castle17 June 2026 09:28

How the World Cup’s great survivor Luka Modric and Croatia could torment England again

Luka Modric tends to swap shirts with an opponent after every international. It means he must need a very large wardrobe or plenty of frames. He will soon have a double century of shirts. There was, Modric said in his autobiography, only one Croatia game where he was determined not to trade the checkered kit with a member of the opposition team: against France, in 2018.

Croatia lost, but even getting there was an extraordinary achievement. Their population remains below four million, less than 0.05 of the world’s. But Modric took them to the 2018 World Cup final. He won the World Cup’s Golden Ball and then the Ballon d’Or, to follow his third consecutive Champions League with Real Madrid.

In an era of diminutive passers, Modric gained personal accolades that eluded even the Spanish technicians who won a World Cup. Modric got so close to emulating them, in part because of a rivalry that will be renewed now. Croatia face England in Dallas. Their only previous World Cup game was in Moscow, eight years ago, and in the semi-final.

Richard Jolly17 June 2026 09:15

Lionel Messi creates more history with Argentina after fabulous hat-trick reveals World Cup truth

Lionel Messi and this love story with the World Cup endures. The game’s most beloved player, Argentina’s most famous son, provided another golden performance as his first-ever World Cup hat-trick propelled Argentina towards a fourth star.

It can be easy to forget the pain and sorrow experienced on this brilliant Argentine’s gripping journey, before that outpouring of jubilation and the destiny of Doha in 2022. But beyond Kylian Mbappe’s super-charged France and the mesmerising Lamine Yamal’s Spain, Argentina’s dream of back-to-back titles burnt bright in the night sky of Kansas City in a 3-0 victory over an Algeria side blinded by this iconic No 10’s light.

More history was made at a Fifa World Cup with this maiden treble in what is Messi’s sixth tournament. This was also a 61st hat-trick in a career that refuses to fizzle out. An Argentine side, that threatened to grow stale in the intervening years since that glorious penalty shoot-out victory over France, now has three points to start Group J thanks to their little magician.

Jack Rathborn17 June 2026 09:04

What is the early England vs Croatia team news

Bukayo Saka is touch and go to prove his fitness to start, with Noni Madueke ready to deputise on the right. Trevoh Chalobah will not be involved after replacing the injured Tino Livramento but will be available for their next outing. All other squad members are fit - will Tuchel pick Bellingham or Morgan Rodgers in the No 10 and who out of Guehi, Stones and Konsa starts at centre back?

As it stands, Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic has a full bill of health, with all 26 players available for their opening game, including Manchester City duo Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic, who have endured injury-impacted seasons.

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Will Castle17 June 2026 08:56

How England plot to avenge years of heartbreak by Croatia in critical World Cup opener

In the final hours before England’s opening World Cup match, Thomas Tuchel hasn’t felt the need for any extra rousing speech about what the competition is. The manager senses the right mood among the squad as it is.

“They know,” Tuchel says. “We all know, and I think you have to grow into a tournament. At the moment, I don’t feel that any emotional fuel is needed to make everyone clear what is happening. But at the moment I see it even as an advantage that we’re focused on what we can actually influence. We don’t put it in the bigger picture - just put it where it is. We know,” he repeated.

Some of the players certainly know the challenge of Croatia. They’re all well aware of Luka Modric’s quality, of course, especially since he’s been central to three of four meetings between the sides since 2018.

Miguel Delaney in Dallas17 June 2026 08:48