England v Croatia, Betting Tips & Odds | WC 2026

This all-European clash sees World Cup favorites England clash with Croatia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Led by Thomas Tuchel, England will be hoping to lift their first World Cup trophy, but will they be able to get past the experienced Croatian team in this first clash? There’s much to unpack in this game!

Which nation will win this game, or what betting markets are best for this game? At TopBets, we have analyzed the teams’ data and past games to provide you with the top predictions for the England v Croatia World Cup match. Continue reading below! 

England v Croatia Preview

England and Croatia will face off for their 2026 World Cup campaign at the AT&T Stadium.

 Arlington, Texas, United States. Both teams have been in similar form, winning 3 of their last 5 games. 

Both sides look ready for this 2026 World Cup tournament, but which team will get the precious points? Will that influence your betting on this game? Let’s see the match details.

Match Details

Here are the England v Croatia match details:

• Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026
• Matchday: Wednesday
• Date: 17th June, 2026
• Kick-off time: 10 PM Nigerian Time
• Venue: AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX), USA.

Why this Match Matters

It has been 60+ years since England last won an international trophy, and they’ll want to get off on a good footing in this game. Croatia mostly falls short against England, aside from knocking them out in the 2018 World Cup. Both teams will be playing for pride and for vital points in this hard group.

England v Croatia Head-to-Head Stats

England and Croatia have clashed previously in a competitive game. England has won 3 of their last 5 clashes, and Croatia has won 1. Here is there head to head record:  

Head-to-Head Record

England’s Recent Form

The England national team has been in good form in their last 5 games; they have won 3 of their last 5 games, lost 1 game, and drawn the rest. Below is a table showcasing their last 5 matches:

England Last Five Matches

Goals Scored and Conceded

Across England’s last 5 games, they have been good in both their attack and defense; they have scored 7 goals and conceded just 2 goals, with 3 clean sheets. Below is a breakdown of their recent goal statistics:

• Goals Scored: 7
• Goals Conceded: 2
• Clean Sheets: 3

Key Trends from England’s Recent Matches

Going through England’s recent games and past games, some interesting trends are clear, and we believe they should be taken seriously when betting on their 2026 World Cup matches. Below are the trends we found:

• England have won 3 of their last 5 games.
• The Three Lions’ defense has been very solid, conceding just 1 goal in their last 4 games.
• Four of the last 5 games involving the English team have seen not more than 2 goals scored. 

Croatia’s Recent Form

Croatia have been in mixed form in recent games, having won 3 of their last 5 games and lost 2. Below is a table showcasing their last 5 matches: 

Croatia’s Last Five Matches

Goals Scored and Conceded

Across Croatia’s last 5 games, they have found the net in 4 of their last 5 games but have also been poor at the back. They have scored 8 goals and conceded 9 without a clean sheet in their last 5 games. Below is a breakdown of their recent goal statistics:

• Goals Scored: 8
• Goals Conceded: 9
• Clean Sheets: 0 

Key Trends from Croatia’s Recent Matches

Going through Croatia’s previous games, some interesting trends are clear, and we believe these trends should impact your World Cup predictions on this team. Below are the trends we found:

• Croatia have won 3 of their last 5 games.
• In Croatia’s last 5 games, there have been a total of 17 goals scored.
• Both teams have scored in 4 of Croatia’s last 5 games.

Team News

Both national teams are expected to start their best players, and below we’ll share what to expect from the lineups.

England Team News

There are some important team updates from the English camp, and below, we’ll share them:

Injuries

• Timo Livramento picked up an injury and had to leave the England squad. He will be replaced by Nathaniel Chalobah.
• Saka has some fitness concerns and might miss this game due to injury.

Suspensions/Absentees

• There are no suspensions for England ahead of this game.

England’s Key Players to Watch

England brought world-class players for their World Cup campaign, and some of them are: 

• Harry Kane, England’s top striker and point man in this game, will certainly be one of the key figures for England, not only in this game but also in the World Cup.
• Anthony Gordon is a very fast winger who is expected to cause defenders many issues in this game. 
• Jude Bellingham is a midfield maestro who can control both the defensive side and the offensive side of the midfield.

Croatia Team News

Croatia arrives at this World Cup with a very competitive world-class squad, and they are expected to give their opponents a tough time.  

Injuries

• There are no new injuries reported from Croatia’s football camp.

Suspensions

• There are no suspensions reported from Croatia’s football camp.

Croatia’s Key Players to Watch

Croatia’s national team brought top players to this World Cup campaign, and some of them are: 

• Luka Modric, the veteran, will be Croatia’s heartbeat and creative engine room.
• Ivan Perisic is an experienced winger who has pace and will certainly give England’s defense some issues.
• Josko Gvardiol is a top defender and also provides an attacking threat which will likely put the English defense on edge.

Predicted Lineups

Here are the predicted lineups for this England vs. Croatia 2026 World Cup clash.

England’s Predicted XI

Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford

Defenders: Reece James, Ezri Konsa, John Stones, Myles Lewis-Skelly O’Reilly

Midfielders: Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson

Forwards: Noni Madueke, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane

Croatia’s Predicted XI

Goalkeeper: Dominik Livakovic

Defenders: Josip Stanisic, Luka Vuskovic, Josko Sutalo, Josko Gvardiol

Midfielders: Martin Baturina, Andrej Kramaric, Ivan Perisic, Mateo Kovacic, Luka Modric

Forwards: Ante Budimir

Best Betting Markets for England v Croatia

This game presents various betting opportunities, and going by their recent and past results, Topbets presents the following predictions below:

Match Winner Prediction

Both sides have top-quality players on the pitch, but England looks more complete all over the pitch. They also have an upper hand against Croatia in their past meetings, and we believe they’ll grab a win in this game. 

Prediction: England

Over/Under Goals

While Croatia’s recent games have seen plenty of goals scored, England’s games have been low-scoring. Due to Tuchel focusing on defensive resilience, we are expecting no more than 3 goals scored in this game.

Prediction: Under 3.5 goals 

Both teams to Score 

Both teams have good attacks, but their defenses have been solid. England have kept clean sheets in 4 of their last 5 games. We don’t expect goals from both sides.

Prediction: No

Anytime Goalscorer

Harry Kane is the most potent goal scorer and dangerous player on the pitch, and we expect him to find the net in this game. He was in fine scoring form for Bayern Munich last season. 

Prediction: Harry Kane

Where to bet on England v Croatia

At Topbets, we didn’t only check the best betting tips for this game; we analyzed the best bookies to bet on these games. Below are the best bookies for this game:

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England v Croatia Prediction

Still need more predictions for this clash? We’ve got you covered. Below are other prediction tips for this game.

Best Bet

Our best bet for this game would be over 2.5 cards in this game. Both teams are almost evenly matched; we expect lots of tackles and midfield battles. We expect at least 3 cards in this game.

Prediction: Over 2.5 Cards

Correct Score Prediction

England has been very effective going forward and limits their opponents greatly. Most of their recent games have ended with at least a 2-goal scoreline, and with that in mind, we expect a 2-0 win for the English team.

Prediction: 2-0

Match Analysis and Verdict

England enters this contest stronger than before and with a manager who is known for winning and hungry to win more. Croatia are experienced in the World Cup and have gone far in recent editions of the World Cup. We expect this game to be exciting but a low-scoring game in favor of England.

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