England has been paired against Ghana, Croatia and Panama at the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.
Their first game will be against Croatia on Wednesday, June 17, in Dallas, United States.
The World Cup, hosted by 3 North American countries, namely the United States, Canada and Mexico, will kick off on June 11 with the final being held at MetLife Stadium on July 26 2026.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has been expanded from 32 to 48 teams, featuring 12 groups of four. Another 22 nations will contest playoffs in March to determine the final six qualifiers.
The tournament will run from June 11 to July 19 across 16 venues in North America, with the match total rising from 64 to 104. Seventy-eight games will be staged in 11 NFL stadiums in the United States, including all matches from the quarterfinals onward. Mexico and Canada will each host 13 games.
The final will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and will feature the first-ever World Cup halftime show.
In the expanded format, the 12 group winners, runners-up, and the eight best third-placed teams will progress to a newly introduced round of 32. The eventual champions will play eight matches in total.
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