England's World Cup Group - Betting Guide

Could this finally be the year? 60 years have now passed since England last won a major trophy. Hope springs eternal, and the Three Lions are once again among the tournament favourites. Having reached two European Championship Finals under Gareth Southgate, is shrewd German tactician Thomas Tuchel the man to get England over the line?

Before England start dreaming of the final at MetLife Stadium on 19 July, they must first navigate an interesting, but eminently winnable Group L. Here we take a look at England’s Group L prospects and the three nations lying in wait.

England

• Manager - Thomas Tuchel
• FIFA World Ranking - 4
• Best World Cup Performance - Winners (1966)
• Tournament Odds - 7/1 with Star Sports

We do recall saying this before, but this really could be England’s best chance of winning the World Cup in decades. Building on the excellent work of Gareth Southgate, Tuchel has created a side which may have the stability and attacking threat to go all the way.

Pairing Elliott Anderson with Declan Rice in midfield has proved a masterstroke, while in Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka, he has the wide men perfectly suited to deploy his intense pressing style in the final third. Then of course, we have Harry Kane, the hottest centre forward on the planet, with the goals and all-round game to enter the Ballon d’Or conversation.

Some questions do remain, namely who will partner Marc Guehi at the heart of the defence, who will start at left back, and whether Morgan Rogers or Jude Bellingham will be preferred as the no. 10. Three so-so friendly performances have also generated some negativity, but it should be remembered that England were flawless when it mattered – winning eight of eight in their qualifying section, scoring 22 goals, and conceding none.

The top-ranked side in the section, possessing a squad littered with talent, England should qualify with something to spare.

Croatia

• Manager - Zlatko Dalic
• FIFA World Ranking - 11
• Best World Cup Performance - Runners Up (2018)
• Tournament Odds - 110/1 with PricedUp

Having finished second and third at the last two World Cup Finals under current boss Zlatko Dalic, Croatia should probably be considered legitimate challengers rather than dark horses.

Familiar names pepper the squad, including wide man Ivan Perisic, Mario Pasalic and Mateo Kovacic in midfield, and forwards Ante Budimir and Andrej Kramaric. Knitting it all together is 40-year-old Luka Modric, at what will surely be his final major international tournament. Younger talents to watch include Petar Susic, the latest midfielder hailed as a successor to Modric, and 19-year-old centre-back Luka Vuskovic, who looks like a star in the making alongside Jasko Gvardiol.

Croatia’s strength is also their weakness. With a combined age of 145, how long can Modric, Perisic, Kramaric, and Budimir keep going, particularly at a tournament in balmy North America? While a solid outfit, there is also a concern about where the goals will come from, with limited options beyond the ageing Kramaric and one-dimensional Budimir.

Croatia’s biggest edge over England – and just about every other side in the competition – is their tournament know-how, and ingrained familiarity with the Dalic system. How far that will take them may depend on how long the old legs last, but they should escape this section.

Ghana

• Manager - Carlos Queiroz
• FIFA World Ranking - 73
• Best World Cup Performance - Quarter-finals (2010)
• Tournament Odds - 500/1 with Midnite

Having failed to qualify for the 2025 edition of the African Cup of Nations, Ghana’s presence at the World Cup Finals represents a huge step back in the right direction. Unfortunately, the manager who masterminded that turnaround won’t be there, with a string of friendly defeats seeing Otto Addo sacked 72 days before the tournament. Former Manchester United assistant Carlos Queiroz comes in to replace him and take charge at his fifth World Cup finals (one with Portugal, three with Iran).

The clear standout in the Ghana squad is Antoine Semenyo, who has enjoyed an electric start to life at Manchester City. Many of the England squad will be familiar with the tricky wide man, but that didn’t help them stop him in the Premier League. Other names to note include Jordan Ayew, who was outstanding during qualifying and fellow forward Iñaki Williams, brother of Spain’s Nico Williams.

The managerial change makes Ghana tough to predict. Generally attacking under Addo, their strength lies in the forward positions. However, Queiroz usually adopts a more pragmatic approach. If they can get the balance right and keep games tight, the Black Stars could cause problems for the two Group favourites. Equally, given the limited time under Queiroz and a shallow squad, it isn’t too hard to see it all unravelling.

Panama

• Manager - Thomas Christiansen
• FIFA World Ranking - 34
• Best World Cup Performance - Group Stage (2018)
• Tournament Odds - 1500/1 with BetMGM

Making their second appearance at a World Cup Finals, Panama have once again been paired with England in the Group stage. The Central American nation will hope to fare better than in 2018, when losing 6-1 to the Three Lions in Russia.

There are solid reasons to believe that Panama may avoid becoming the Group L whipping boys – not least the fact that they sit fully 39 places above Ghana in the FIFA World Rankings. Under the guidance of Danish-born, former Spanish international Thomas Christiansen, Panama has found its identity as a tough, physical, and disciplined unit.

Having finished as runners-up at the 2023 Gold Cup, escaped their Group at the 2024 Copa América, ahead of the USA, and reached the 2025 CONCACAF Nations League Final, the team has shown an ability to perform on the big stage.

In a side all about the collective, the key players are veteran defensive midfielder Anibal Godoy and all-action Adalberto Carrasquilla, who serves as the team’s workhorse and key creative influence. In all likelihood, Panama will find themselves out of their depth against England and struggle to live with Croatia’s midfield class. However, the clash with Ghana could be a different story.

Group L Predicted Standings

• 1. - England
• 2. - Croatia
• 3. - Panama
• 4. - Ghana

As the odds suggest, England should be up to topping this section. Outstanding during qualifying, their toughest match will be the opening clash with Croatia.

Recommended Bets

• England to Draw with Croatia @ 14/5 with Spreadex - Not the most inspiring first bet, but a draw wouldn’t be a bad result for either side. Always underestimated, we expect Croatia to start the tournament strongly, and England, who can struggle to break down organised defences, may have to settle for a point.
• Panama to beat Ghana @ 27/10 with Ladbrokes - While the FIFA World Rankings are far from infallible, the fact that Panama are ranked almost 40 places higher than Ghana does catch the eye. Much more settled than the Black Stars, the Central Americans are worth a bet to nick this.
• Ghana Top Team Scorer: Antoine Semenyo @ 3/1 with bet365 - While Ghana are not expected to threaten top spot, their Manchester City ace has shown he can create something from nothing, and it may not take many goals for this bet to land.
• Panama Top Team Scorer: Carlos Harvey @ 25/1 with Betfred - Again, this is unlikely to take much winning, and the player we like is Carlos Harvey, who is both a threat in the air and from range – two of the areas most likely to result in a Panama goal.

World Cup "Group of Death" Betting Guide