England vs. Croatia: FIFA World Cup Live Stream, Odds, and Match Preview

Of all the squads selected for the  2026 FIFA World Cup , few were quite as contentious as Thomas Tuchel. Now there are not many player pools with the sheer depth of talent afforded to the England manager, but it was apparent when his 26-man group was named on June 1 that Tuchel was ready to swim in some rarely explored waters.

Harry Maguire and Trent Alexander-Arnold found there was no room in defense for their talents, but it was further forward that the most contentious decisions were made. Cole Palmer , Phil Foden and, to a lesser extent,  Morgan Gibbs-White are the sort of players that fascinate a particular cross-section of the English footballing public: the sort who are at their best with the ball at their feet, ready to give and go, always with an eye on that moment that could swing a game. Palmer scored England's equalizer at the Euro 2024 final. For a time in the 2023-24 Premier League, it seemed Foden was going to win the title single-handedly for Manchester City.

These are players who break systems. The problem is that Tuchel is an elite manager who, perhaps more than any other, really likes his system. The German, a Champions League winner with Chelsea in 2021, has been out of the club game at a time when there has perhaps been more of a gravitation towards giving the best of the best a wide lane and fitting around their talents.

Instead, Tuchel has melded his talent around his plans for England. Picking Anthony Gordon , Marcus Rashford and Noni Madueke to join Bukayo Saka on the flanks is a clear indication of the plan. This will be a team of runners, the sort who can fly onto the passes Harry Kane wants to pick out when he drops deep.

2026 World Cup: Is this England star Harry Kane's last ever shot at international glory? James Benge

It is a gamble, particularly in the heat that will follow them in this tournament after Wednesday's opener in air-conditioned Arlington. England's game reflects a Premier League of bluster and energy. It collides with an opponent in Croatia whose ability to keep the ball and exert steady pressure undid the Three Lions in the 2018 semifinal.

England's target this time around is to go even further. Fall significantly short and there are no guarantees that Tuchel will get another go. Though he is contracted up until the home European Championships in 2028, there is a break clause in The Football Association's (FA) contract related to his performance.

"There's performance clauses in every single contract at the FA, but I'm not going into any detail of what they are," said FA chief executive Mark Bullingham. That clause does not work the other way around, Bullingham confirmed. Should they so wish, England can hold Tuchel to his contract.

At this point, England are not at all keen to think of a future without their manager, who would doubtless have been in demand by top club sides had he not signed a contract extension in February. "I think the energy and charisma he brings is amazing," said Bullingham. "In his own environment he's incredibly dynamic and energetic, but he absolutely owns the room and owns the camp and he's brilliant at connecting with everyone.

"I think with him also in the beginning, you never know how a club manager will adapt to international. It is a different flow, it's a different rhythm. He's done it brilliantly. I think he's adapted very, very well, and he was keen to carry on. We were very keen to carry on with him."

Whether that judgement call was the right one will only become clear in a few weeks' time.

How to watch England vs. Croatia

Date: Wednesday, June 17 | Time: 4 p.m. ET Location: AT&T Stadium -- Arlington, Texas TV: FOX (Eng), Telemundo (Spa) | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free) Odds:  England -143; Draw +260; Croatia +375

Keep up with the World Cup standings here !

England vs. Croatia predicted starting lineups

England : Jordan Pickford ; Reece James , John Stones, Marc Guehi , Nico O'Reilly ; Elliot Anderson , Declan Rice ; Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham , Anthony Gordon; Harry Kane Croatia : Dominik Livakovic ; Josip Stanisic , Luka Vuskovic , Josip Sutalo, Josko Gvardiol , Ivan Perisic ; Luka Modric , Mateo Kovacic ; Andrej Kramaric , Petar Sucic ; Ante Budimir

England vs. Croatia pick, prediction

Even the bright young things that were supposed to succeed Modric (now 40 years old) are now in their post-prime years, Martin Baturina aside. Croatia might find they don't have the legs to keep up with an early tournament England.  Pick : England 2, Croatia 0

Check out our World Cup expert predictions .

Golazo 48 Nations: Follow the World Cup all summer long

Golazo 48 Nations is your all-access destination for the World Cup, with wall-to-wall coverage across the CBS Sports Golazo Network. From the first whistle to the final recap, the entire Golazo crew will guide fans through every moment of the tournament.

Each day begins with  Morning Footy , setting the stage with the latest news, storylines, and previews ahead of kickoff. From there,  Golazo Matchday  and  Golazo Matchnight  deliver reaction and analysis as the action unfolds. Fans can also tune in for coverage of  USMNT  matches with the  Call It What You Want  team, as well as reaction to other marquee matchups.

The day wraps with  Scoreline , a comprehensive nightly recap of every result, moment, and storyline from across the tournament. Altogether, the Golazo Network will deliver up to 12 hours of programming each matchday, available across the Golazo Network and its YouTube channel.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/england-croatia-world-cup-2026-preview-predictions-watch/)._