England and Croatia will kick off their World Cup in Group L, with both aiming to secure a place in the latter stages of the competition and compete for the title. Read our preview of what we think could happen when these two nations face each other.

To celebrate the momentous occasion that is the World Cup, Sportsbet is bringing back its exclusive Super Sub feature!

How does Super Sub work? Well, it’s very simple. Place a bet on select player markets throughout the Men’s World Cup and if that player is subbed off your bet rolls over to the new player that replaced them.

For example, if you’ve bet on Kylian Mbappe to score during one of France’s matches and during that match he fails to do so and is directly substituted for Jean-Philippe Mateta who ends up scoring instead, your original bet on Mbappe is paid as a winner!

Super Sub is not exclusive to goalscoring markets either, it also applies to anytime assist, player to win one or more fouls, shots on target and more, just make sure to read all the T&Cs before locking in your bet.

Quick Picks

Our pick: England to win

Value bet: Over 2.5 goals

Long shot: BTTS to hit

England vs Croatia prediction

England have been made the short-priced favourites pre-match for this encounter, which is perhaps due to their recent positive form. Including qualifiers, England has won each of their last eight matches related to this competition.

However, it’s worth noting that Croatia are dangerous opposition. They have competed at six World Cups, with two top finishes in the last two. They finished third in 2022 after being runners-up in 2018; a tournament in which they defeated England in the semi-finals.

This suggests that there may be some value in the underdogs, especially as Croatia also went unbeaten in qualifying. They won seven of their eight games. Nonetheless, the quality that the England squad has should see Thomas Tuchel’s side come out on top.

England vs Croatia score prediction

The goals market will be the most interesting for this upcoming encounter.

England scored 22 in qualifying and didn’t concede a single goal in their eight games. Croatia scored 26 times in their eight games, but conceded four times. This would suggest that goals from both sides could be likely, which could mean there’s value potentially on offer.

The 'Both Teams to Score' market has failed to hit in each of England's last three matches in this tournament as a favourite. However, the value is in the BTTS as Croatia showcased just how much of a threat they can be, having done so in the past against England and opponents like Czechia in qualifying.

We think there’s value in the 'Over 2.5 Goals' market, as this has hit in each of England's last three tournament matches, while also hitting in Croatia’s last three too.

A long shot is the ‘Draw 0-0 - Half-Time Correct Score’ market, as this half-time scoreline has happened in four of Croatia's last five Group Stage matches.

Still, we think England winning 2-1 offers the best value…

If you want to back England across a few markets, it's worth getting your head around what a multi bet actually is before you lock anything in, and the World Cup betting hub is handy for the full run of markets on this one.

England vs Croatia team news and line-ups

Predicted England line-up (4-2-3-1): Jordan Pickford, Ben White, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Nico O'Reilly, Elliott Anderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon, Phil Foden.

The XI shown is the side that started a recent friendly, so changes are possible for the tournament opener.

Predicted Croatia line-up (3-4-1-2): Dominik Livakovic, Josip Sutalo, Luka Vuskovic, Josko Gvardiol, Josip Stanisic, Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Ivan Perisic, Petar Sucic, Martin Baturina, Petar Musa.

Local reports suggest Dalic is weighing up his number nine choice, with a change up front possible for the opener.

England vs Croatia head-to-head record

England and Croatia have met 11 times, and the overall record favours England, who lead 6 wins to 3 with 2 draws. Most of those England wins came in World Cup qualifiers, so the competitive picture reads very differently.

Their only previous World Cup meeting came in the 2018 semi-final, where Croatia reportedly recovered to win after extra time and dumped England out.

England gained a measure of revenge at Euro 2020, edging a 1-0 win at Wembley through Raheem Sterling's strike.

Player markets to watch

Harry Kane will be a player who has value to score anytime in this game, especially given the odds that he has been listed at pre-match. The England striker scored eight goals in qualifying, adding to the 61 he netted in all competitions for Bayern Munich.

In his last five games for England, he has five goals and is often the focal point of the attack. The only concern that could make his odds slightly longer than expected is the position he takes up in the game, as he can often go a little deeper than a number 9 would.

The ‘Bellingham OR Rice to have a shot on target in the 1st half’ market also offers value, as both midfielders like to get on the ball and have an attempt on goal when one presents itself.

Ivan Perisic could be Croatia's main provider, offering significant value in the ‘To Score Or Assist’ market. Although 37, the winger had eight goal involvements in qualifying, highlighting the permanent class that he has on offer and how dangerous he can be going forward.

England vs Croatia Match Details

Date: Thursday, June 18, 2026.

Kick-off: 6:00am AEST.

Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington.

Where to watch: Sportsbet, SBS.

Where to Watch England vs Croatia

For the first time ever, Sportsbet is offering punters the chance to stream World Cup matches live*.

To watch Sportsbet's live streams of the World Cup, you must:

- Be 18+.

- Have a Sportsbet account.

- Be logged into your Sportsbet account.

- Have a positive balance OR have placed a bet in the last 24 hours.

World Cup streaming is available both in-app and on-web. As long as you meet the above requirements, you'll be able to tune in on your computer, tablet or phone.

To access the stream for England vs Croatia simply find your way to the official betting page for this match. Or, if you have a bet on the game you can watch from your "My Bets" section.

Traditional World Cup broadcaster SBS is also showing every World Cup match, meaning you can also watch England vs Croatia on either SBS, SBS Viceland or SBS On Demand.

*18+ Available to Sportsbet customers only. Conditions apply – see sportsbet.com.au