England vs Croatia: Tuchel's World Cup Challenge in Dallas

The waiting is over. England walk into the 2026 World Cup with an old wound for company and a new man in charge trying to rewrite the script.

Thomas Tuchel’s first competitive game at the helm brings a déjà vu twist: Croatia again, the country that stopped England in their tracks in that World Cup semi-final eight years ago. Different tournament, different continent, different cast in places – but the echo of Russia still hangs in the air.

This time, the stage is Dallas and a Group L opener that already feels heavier than a standard first step. With Ghana and Panama also in the section, victory here would give England a firm hand on the group. Drop points, and that old anxiety creeps in before the campaign has even begun.

Tuchel’s Options – and One Big Question

Tuchel has almost a full deck. Twenty-five of his 26-man squad are available, a luxury most coaches at this tournament would happily take. The one absentee is Trevoh Chalobah, drafted in late as an injury replacement but not yet ready to feature.

At the sharp end, there is no debate. Harry Kane will lead the line, captain’s armband strapped on, carrying the burden he knows better than anyone in this squad. In a tournament already lit up by its headline acts, England will expect their talisman to join the show quickly.

Around him, though, Tuchel must make his first significant call of the World Cup. Bukayo Saka’s fitness hangs over the team sheet. The Arsenal winger has been nursing an injury, his workload carefully managed in the build-up. He is too important to risk recklessly, too decisive to leave out lightly.

Does Tuchel unleash him from the start, gambling on his ability to tilt a tight contest? Or does he hold him back, using him as a devastating option from the bench in the Texan heat? The answer shapes not just the right flank, but the entire rhythm of England’s attack.

A Different Croatia, Same Beating Heart

Croatia arrive in Dallas looking familiar and unfamiliar all at once. The names on the teamsheet have changed since that night in Moscow. Age, retirements and the natural cycle of a squad have taken their toll. On paper, this is not the same heavyweight that broke English hearts.

Yet one figure refuses to fade. Luka Modric still sits at the heart of their midfield, still dictating tempo, still capable of bending a game to his will. As long as he is on the pitch, Croatia carry a certain authority, a belief that they can navigate tight moments and drag opponents into uncomfortable territory.

They may not have the depth or aura of that 2018 vintage, but they remain a team England cannot treat as a simple stepping stone in a group that also includes Ghana’s athleticism and Panama’s bite.

Old Scars, New Era

For England, this is about more than three points. It is an early test of Tuchel’s ability to change the team’s big-tournament story. Can he take a squad accustomed to near-misses and heartbreak and turn them into something more ruthless, more streetwise?

The opponent could hardly be more symbolic. Beat Croatia here, and the narrative of revenge will write itself, even if the personnel and context have shifted. Fail to do so, and the questions that have followed England from one World Cup to the next will only grow louder.

Dallas offers a clean slate and a familiar ghost. Tuchel has his captain fit, his squad almost complete, and his first major selection dilemma in Saka. The stage is set.

Now we find out if this England side are finally ready to turn the page.