World Cup 2026 Group L Preview: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
Group L closes the alphabet and, fittingly, is one of the toughest to call in the bottom half of the bracket. England are the favorites but always carry pressure. Croatia have somehow kept making semifinals. Ghana bring pace and youth. Panama are scrappy.
The teams at a glance
- England — FIFA #4. 2024 Euro finalists, 2018 and 2022 deep runs. England preview.
- Croatia — FIFA #11. 2018 finalists, 2022 third place. Croatia preview.
- Ghana — FIFA #74. Returning after a 2022 group exit.
- Panama — FIFA #33. Reached 2018 World Cup, 2023 Gold Cup final.
England: same heavy favorites, same big pressure
England under Thomas Tuchel (or whoever holds the job by June 2026) have an absurdly deep squad: Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, John Stones, Marc Guéhi, Trent Alexander-Arnold. The 2024 Euros final loss is the only thing keeping fans grounded.
England should win Group L comfortably. 7-9 points and a +5 goal difference is the realistic ceiling. The bigger question is the knockouts — they've reached the semi or final in three straight major tournaments without lifting a trophy.
Croatia: the team that just keeps reaching the late rounds
Luka Modrić is somehow still playing in 2026. The squad has refreshed around Mateo Kovačić, Marcelo Brozović, Andrej Kramarić, Joško Gvardiol, and Dominik Livaković in goal. They have one of the best midfields in the tournament.
Croatia's realistic outcome: 2nd place at 6-7 points. They'll beat Ghana and Panama, take a competitive loss or draw against England. Picking them to make the quarterfinals is a high-floor bet — they've done it three World Cups in a row.
Ghana: pace, youth, and a deep AFCON resume
Ghana have one of the youngest, fastest squads in the tournament. Mohammed Kudus (Tottenham), Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth), Ernest Nuamah, Inaki Williams, Ibrahim Sangaré. Defensively they're questionable, but their counter-attack is dangerous against any team that pushes high.
Realistic outcome: 3-4 points, 3rd place. Ghana are capable of beating Panama and stealing a result against Croatia. Wildcard candidate, but the goal-difference math depends on not getting rolled by England.
Panama: punching above their weight again
Panama are at their second World Cup ever (2018 was their first). They reached the 2023 Gold Cup final. The squad is built around Adalberto Carrasquilla, Ismael Díaz, José Fajardo, and Aníbal Godoy. They are organized, motivated, and physical.
Realistic outcome: 1-3 points, 3rd or 4th. Panama vs Ghana is effectively a 6-pointer for the wildcard slot. Whoever wins that match is the live wildcard candidate from this group.
Predictions
- 1st: England — squad depth and tactical quality.
- 2nd: Croatia — pedigree and a midfield that doesn't lose tight matches.
- 3rd: Ghana — pace gives them goal-difference advantage over Panama.
- 4th: Panama — competitive but a step short.
Bracket strategy for Group L
- England 1st is the chalk lock. No reason to be cute.
- Croatia 2nd is the smart play. Their tournament pedigree justifies it. Picking them to reach the QF is also a high-EV bet.
- Ghana for a wildcard is volatile.Their floor is 0 points, ceiling is 4. Smart contrarian play in pools where most fillers will pick stronger groups' 3rds.
Make your Group L picks
Lock your group standings and wildcard picks before the first kickoff on June 11. That closes out all 12 groups — read the rest of the group previewsif you haven't already.