2026 World Cup Group L Betting Guide

England will be looking to go all the way in the US and begin their World Cup journey against Croatia in Arlington, Texas. Trips to Massachusetts and New Jersey for the Three Lions are up next to face Ghana and Panama once again at the World Cup.

Croatia will head to Canada in round two to face Panama in Toronto, before travelling to Philadelphia to finish their group against Ghana. The African representatives kickstart their campaign in Toronto against Panama - arguably their best chance to secure three points.

England are well fancied to perform well at the World Cup, but how will they get on in Group L? Nathan Joyes will be providing predictions on all World Cup betting markets during the tournament and is here to talk us through their camp and competitors.

Group L Team analysis

Croatia

Croatia’s route to the World Cup was rather simple, only dropping two points as they finished ahead of the Czech Republic, Faroe Islands and Montenegro. Admittedly, it wasn’t a challenging group for Zlatko Dalic’s men, but they made sure to face difficult opponents in the lead up to their first match against England.

A 2-1 win over Colombia was impressive, but their 3-1 defeat against Brazil was humbling. Belgium and Slovenia in June will be further tests to see where Croatia are at.

They remain a nation still reliant on older heads. Luka Modric (40) remains in the middle, while Ivan Perisic (37) is preferred on the wing. Up top, Andrej Kramaric (34) is still in there pitching for a place.

Yet there are younger faces that add a different edge to the side. Inter’s Petar Sucic (22) may feature despite a lack of goal contributions in Italy this season. Orlando’s Marco Pasalic (25) will be an option, while Bayern’s Josip Stanisic (26) will be trusted in defence.

Josko Gvardiol will be a huge miss due to his broken leg, and Croatia’s ageing side may struggle in not only the heat but against quicker nations.

England

Thomas Tuchel’s England are third favourites to win the tournament with World Cup odds of 13/2, and amongst the teams who the bookmakers fancy to win the World Cup, above Brazil, Argentina, and Germany. But do they deserve to be that high in the market?

Having waltzed through the qualifiers - winning every single match - there’s no doubt that Croatia and Ghana will provide sterner tests than the likes of Latvia, Serbia and Albania.

But England didn’t concede in all eight matches and with Harry Kane at the other end of the pitch, there’s more than just one reason why they are amongst the front runners to win their second ever World Cup.

In short, there’s too much quality for England to fail to top Group L. They haven’t always convinced in previous groups, but Tuchel has found a tune out of his preferred XI, and the German head coach will be aiming for three wins from three.

With new, young faces within the squad - including Elliott Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White - these players could give England the breath of fresh air required to go deep in this tournament.

Ghana

If either Croatia or England fail to fire Ghana will be hoping to pick up the pieces. However, recent friendlies have been rather concerning, losing against Japan, South Korea, Austria and Germany. Within those matches, they conceded 10 and scored just twice. There’s work to do - and not much time to achieve anything meaningful at this point.

Carlos Queiroz was appointed in April and his first look at his team saw them battered 5-1 by Austria. Previously, they did top their World Cup qualifying group, but the Black Stars didn’t endure many challenges with Madagascar, Mali and Comoros finishing in behind.

But Ghana aren’t without hope, although a lot of responsibility will fall on Man City’s Antoine Semenyo’s shoulders, who will look to be a handful out wide. This is a difficult draw for Ghana, and their best chance of progression is to beat Panama in round one.

Panama

Panama came through a qualifying group that featured El Salvador, Guatemala and Suriname, and they will know much greater nations will be put in front of them this summer.

And while a friendly against Brazil awaits at the end of May, matches this year haven’t convinced many that they will be pulling up any trees in Group L. A defeat against Mexico and draws vs South Africa and Bolivia - two nations that failed to qualify themselves - show Panama’s limitations.

There is only one European based player - Andres Andrade at LASK Linz - with the vast majority of their squad plying their trade in North, Central and South America. That bodes well knowing Panama will be comfortable in the conditions and environments that await, but shows they lack the quality when coming up against nations full of European stars.

This will be their second World Cup after Russia 2018, and once again they are likely to bow out with three defeats to their name.

Group L Betting tips

Group winner: England at 4/11 with Betfred

There’s no surprise that Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions are the clear favourites at the World Cup bookmakers to win Group L - but at the same time there’s no one in this group capable of pulling off three victories.

Croatia will be England’s closest competitors, but their ageing squad lacks the overall quality and mobility to deal with Tuchel’s side.

One could argue that the Three Lions head to a major tournament in their best possible shape - which is why they are well fancied to go far. A blend of experience but young, proven talent sprinkled around the team makes them a dangerous opponent for anyone.

The experience of Declan Rice alongside Elliott Anderson could be a strong partnership in the middle, while the decision to call back Ben White may be controversial but shows Tuchel wants the best players in the US this summer.

England, on paper, look ready to rock and roll this summer and if Harry Kane can continue his incredible goalscoring form, there’s no reason why the Three Lions can’t make at least the final four.

Qualifiers: Ghana to qualify at 8/13

Croatia should join England in second spot and qualify but at 1/5 it’s way too short to push. Instead, Ghana could sneak through in 3rd spot. The Black Stars will fancy themselves to beat Panama in Toronto, and then one further point - or better goal difference than other nations - might just be enough.

England rarely run riot at major competitions while Ghana’s overall pace and power could trouble Croatia during periods. The expanded World Cup has created opportunities, and this could be one for Africa’s representatives in Group L.

Longshot team to watch: Croatia at 100/1 E/W

Croatia are likely to run out of steam in the knockout stages but a generous draw could see them go further than anticipated. They have been difficult to beat - proven by results and performances over the last 12 months - and they so often know how to perform on the World Cup stage having finished 3rd in 2022 and runners-up in 2018. Their squad has aged, but leaders are required at a World Cup and there’s a few of those sprinkled throughout their team. We have a list of World Cup betting bonuses so you could back Croatia with less risk.

The World Cup kicks off on June 11th as co hosts Mexico go up against South Africa in Mexico City. You can check our preview for team analysis and how Group A is shaping up heading into the tournament.

World Cup Group L Standings

2026 World Cup Group L Fixtures

Bonuses to bet on Group L at the World Cup