England vs. Croatia Prediction, Odds, Picks For World Cup Match

By Fox Sports | Created at 2026-06-17 10:28:18 | Updated at 2026-06-17 15:38:35 5 hours ago

England will face Croatia in a marquee Group L opening match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 17, 2026, at Dallas Stadium on FOX.

After falling short in the 2018 World Cup semifinals, the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals and the 2024 Euros final, The Three Lions enter a new era under new manager Thomas Tuchel with plenty of unfinished business.

England punched its ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup by topping UEFA Group K with a perfect campaign. They capped off qualification with a dominant 5-0 win over Latvia, finishing unbeaten in eight matches without conceding a single goal.

England is among the tournament favorites at +700, trailing only France and Spain.

Despite having a new manager, it will rely on the same core that has turned them into an international powerhouse, including Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice.

After coming close on multiple major stages, this group has yet to get over the line, with the men’s team still searching for its first major international title in 60 years.

Similarly, Croatia has made some major noise over the last two World Cups, establishing itself as one of the most successful teams of the modern era.

They finished runner-up in 2018 and followed it up with a third-place finish in 2022. On top of that, they also reached the UEFA Nations League final in 2023. Even more impressively, Croatia has achieved this sustained success with a population of fewer than four million people.

Croatia secured their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup by finishing top of UEFA Group L, securing automatic qualification for the tournament.

Like England, can they finally move past those near misses and heartbreaks to lift the trophy?

Let’s check out the odds for the England vs. Croatia Group L matchup at FanDuel Sportsbook as of June 17.

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Harry Kane is +125 to score in England's 2026 FIFA World Cup opening match against Croatia. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)

England vs. Croatia Odds

Moneyline

England: -140 (bet $10 to win $17.14 total)
Croatia: +420 (bet $10 to win $52 total)
Draw: +270 (bet $10 to win $37 total)

Spread

England -0.5: -140 (bet $10 to win $17.14 total)
Croatia +0.5: +115 (bet $10 to win $21.50 total)

Over/Under Total Odds: 2.5

Over: +116 (bet $10 to win $21.60 total)
Under: -142 (bet $10 to win $17.04 total)

England vs. Croatia Prediction, Pick

From FOX Sports Wagering Analyst, Chris ‘The Bear’ Fallica:

A grizzled, veteran-laden Croatia is back to make England’s life miserable here. England’s Euro 2024 matches were bogs, and I can't imagine the presence of Thomas Tuchel will change that much. Head to halftime even and Harry Kane to the spot in the second half looks like a likely recipe. Bet on a first half draw and under 2.5 goals to be scored.