England vs. Croatia: 3 Key Battles in Tonight’s World Cup Group L Opener
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
1. Harry Kane vs. Josko Gvardiol
Tino Livramento’s injury, which forced him to pull out of England’s 2026 World Cup squad yesterday, has given Thomas Tuchel yet another selection decision for his team’s opener against Croatia tonight, but one player who is certain to start this encounter is Harry Kane.
As discussed in our England vs Croatia prediction, the Three Lions’ skipper is coming into this World Cup off the back of an incredible season with Bayern Munich, in which he scored a career-best 61 goals across all competitions and led the Bavarians to a domestic treble.
Kane has scored 10 goals in his last 11 international games!
The Bayern Munich talisman surpassed former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney (53) back in 2023 to become England’s all-time top scorer. With eight World Cup goals to his name, Kane now needs three more to tie Gary Lineker as the Three Lions’ top scorer on football’s grandest stage.
Standing in the way of the England skipper is Josko Gvardiol. The Man City man is one of the most expensive defenders of all time and enters the World Cup following a solid second season at the Etihad, helping the Citizens to win the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
2. Reece James vs Ivan Perisic
Despite Livramento’s withdrawal and Tuchel’s decision to call up Trevoh Chalobah ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold, England are still favourites tonight, as shown in our 2026 World Cup predictions, but they now have just one specialist right-back in their squad in the form of Reece James.
James endured a tough season with Chelsea, as the Blues failed to qualify for Europe, and his campaign was once again disrupted by injuries, most notably a hamstring strain that sidelined him for England’s March friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.
While James’ ability on the ball is well-known, there have been question marks over his defensive capabilities, and those will be tested to the fullest tonight, as he will be tasked with trying to keep the ultra-dangerous Ivan Perisic at bay.
Perisic scored in the 2018 World Cup semi-final to send England out of the tournament!
Across his career, Perisic has built a reputation for delivering in crunch situations and on the biggest stages. That goal against England in 2018 sparked one of the most memorable comebacks of all time for Croatia en route to reaching their first-ever World Cup final.
Since leaving Tottenham Hotspur, Perisic struggled to find his best form back home in the Croatian top flight, but he has since rediscovered his lethal edge at PSV Eindhoven, where he racked up 10 goals and 16 assists in 43 appearances across all competitions last season.
Perisic netted four goals and provided four assists in eight matches to help Vatreni top their World Cup qualification group (UEFA). He picked up another assist against Slovenia in a friendly earlier this month, meaning he now has nine goal involvements in his last 12 matches for his nation.
3. Declan Rice vs Luka Modric
While there is still uncertainty around whether Tuchel will opt for Morgan Rogers or Jude Bellingham in the number 10 role, or Noni Madueke on the flank ahead of Bukayo Saka, there are no such questions in central midfield, where Declan Rice is all but certain to start tonight.
The 27-year-old was instrumental in helping Arsenal reach the final of the Champions League and end their 22-year wait to lift the Premier League title last season. With Kane turning 33 next month, Rice has also found himself in the discussion to be England’s captain in the years to come.
Intensity, vision, and a limitless engine, Rice notched up five goals and 11 assists for the Gunners last term. He has only missed 18 of 91 internationals since his debut for the Three Lions in 2019 and scored his seventh goal for the national team at the Inter&Co Stadium last Wednesday.
"My aim in this tournament is to enjoy it, to do my best, but enjoy it!"
Those were the words of midfield great Luka Modric in the lead-up to Croatia’s opening match of this competition - his fifth campaign on football’s biggest stage. Along with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, this will be Modric’s final World Cup before calling time on his international career.
The former Real Madrid midfielder was key to helping Vatreni secure back-to-back World Cup medals, including bronze in Qatar 2022 and silver in 2018 when they lost to France 4-2 in the final. Despite his age, Modric is still a major threat and is coming off a solid season for AC Milan in Serie A.
Modric is set to surpass 200 international appearances during the group stage of this competition (currently on 198 caps). He has 29 goals and 31 assists in national colours and scored the opener against Slovenia in the team’s 2-1 victory earlier this month.
