The mood around England was great last year as they won all eight World Cup qualifiers without conceding a single goal.
But they were poor in both home friendlies last month, showing how lost they look without Harry Kane.
With 50 days to go until this summer’s tournament kicks off, you can hear expectations being gently recalibrated…
Who is in form?
England’s best and most important player, Kane, is playing better than ever. He has just sealed his second straight Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich and has 32 league goals — 51 in all competitions — this season.
The single most important thing for England’s campaign is that Kane stays fit, especially through the climax of the Champions League.
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At Manchester City, Nico O’Reilly is getting better by the week, and now feels like a certain starter for England at left-back. His City team-mate Marc Guehi, who only joined from Crystal Palace in January, is also playing well.
Who is out of form?
Where to start?
Phil Foden is barely getting a look-in for Manchester City, just when they have hit their stride. John Stones, who Thomas Tuchel loves, has not started a Premier League game since October. Eberechi Eze is in and out at Arsenal. Anthony Gordon has not been at his best for Newcastle United. Cole Palmer has scored goals but it has not been his best season for Chelsea. Morgan Rogers, so good earlier in the season, has tailed off.
Every England attacking player, apart from Kane, has questions surrounding them.
Are there any injuries to worry about?
The biggest concern is probably over Bukayo Saka. He has not played since the Carabao Cup final on March 22, exactly one month ago, with an Achilles injury. He pulled out of England’s camp that month and has not featured since. Saka would have been one of the first names on the team sheet for England but they may have to look elsewhere.
The other big question mark is over Reece James, the first-choice right-back, who injured his hamstring last month.
What’s the biggest thing the manager needs to sort out?
Is there a plan without Kane?
Tuchel has been trying to play Foden as a ‘false nine’ in recent months, but as much as Tuchel wants it to work, there has been little to show for it so far. He needs to decide whether he sticks with it or goes for a more conventional alternative.
Dominic Solanke appears to be the next in line after the March games, but Dominic Calvert-Lewis is in good form, and so is Ollie Watkins. They cannot all go, but Tuchel will need a robust Plan B in case the worst happens between now and June.
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If you picked a starting XI today, who would be in it?
(4-2-3-1) Jordan Pickford; Ben White, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Nico O’Reilly; Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson; Jarrod Bowen, Jude Bellingham, Marcus Rashford; Harry Kane
What are the key storylines around their group opponents?
Croatia
The World Cup could be the final chance for this miraculous Croatian generation to play together. Zlatko Dalic has been in charge for almost nine years now, during which time he has led his country to remarkable heights. Croatia reached the final in 2018, losing to France in Russia, an incredible achievement for a nation of four million people. In Qatar, four years later, they reached the semi-finals, only to be picked apart by Lionel Messi when they got there.
So this will be Dalic’s third World Cup and fifth major tournament in charge, and as it stands, he does not have a contract beyond this summer. It remains to be seen what will happen with Dalic and what exactly Croatia’s plans are for Euro 2028 and beyond.
Even more important than the coach is captain Luka Modric. The 40-year-old has 196 international caps and is about to play in his fifth World Cup. He has been integral to Croatia’s success over the years and may never truly be replaced.
Croatia’s opening game against England in Dallas is especially interesting because it is arguably the highest-quality game in the group stage. It will determine who is in the driving seat in Group L, and it will remind both countries of their semi-final in Moscow eight years ago, when Croatia overcame Gareth Southgate’s England 2-1 to set up a final with France.
Warm-up games:
Croatia vs Belgium, June 2
Croatia vs Slovenia, June 7
Ghana
Is it really a World Cup without Carlos Queiroz managing? The veteran Portuguese coach, 73, has just signed a deal to lead Ghana this summer, bringing the benefit of his decades of experience to a very talented squad.
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Queiroz managed Portugal at the 2010 World Cup and then Iran at the past three, recording memorable wins over Morocco in Russia and Wales in Qatar. He came up against Southgate’s England in Qatar, but was unable to shackle them as England won 6-2. He has also recent international experience with Colombia, Egypt, Qatar and Oman, as well as spells with the United Arab Emirates and South Africa at the start of his career.
Carlos Queiroz is held aloft by Iran’s players after victory over Wales at the 2022 World Cup (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Queiroz’s career is a testament to his skills, experience and adaptability. Few people know more about how to get the most out of a group of players at a tournament, to stay organised and competitive, than he does. He got the job after his predecessor, Otto Addo, a former Ghana international, was dismissed following a defeat against Germany in a friendly in March.
He will take over a gifted squad, led by captain Jordan Ayew. But the star is Antoine Semenyo, who has hit the ground running since he joined Manchester City from Bournemouth in January.
If Queiroz can organise the defence and make the most of Semenyo’s talents, then Ghana could cause some real trouble.
Warm-up games:
Mexico vs Ghana, May 22
Wales vs Ghana, June 2
Panama
This will be Panama’s second World Cup, their first since their debut at Russia 2018. England fans may remember that they were the team’s second opponents there, a comfortable 6-1 win featuring a Kane hat-trick.
The small Central American nation are now managed by former Leeds United boss Thomas Christiansen, who has overseen steady progress over the past six years. They were runners-up at the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup, losing the final to Mexico in Los Angeles, and then two years later were runners-up in the 2025 Concacaf Nations League, losing to the same opposition in the same stadium, this time 2-1. But in the semi-finals, they beat Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT, a great night in Panamanian football history.
Cecilio Waterman celebrated his stoppage-time winner by running to Thierry Henry, who was there as a TV pundit, hugging him and telling him Henry was his idol. It was a special moment, one that told the world of the progress Panama had been making.
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But even after that famous celebration, returning to the World Cup was still the focus for Panama. And they won both of their qualification groups to seal their place. Waterman and his team-mates will have more chances to make history this summer.
Warm-up games:
Brazil vs Panama, May 31
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Group L schedule
Matchday 1
DateMatchupLocation
England
England
Croatia
Croatia
Dallas
Ghana
Ghana
Panama
Panama
Toronto, Canada
Matchday 2
DateMatchupLocation
England
England
Ghana
Ghana
Boston
Panama
Panama
Croatia
Croatia
Toronto, Canada
Matchday 3
DateMatchupLocation
Panama
Panama
England
England
East Rutherford, N.J.
Croatia
Croatia
Ghana
Ghana
Philadelphia
See full schedule and draw
Is there anything travelling fans need to know?
While all three of England’s games are in the U.S., with two on the East Coast, that does not necessarily mean England fans will have an easy time.
NJ Transit confirmed last week that a return rail ticket to the MetLife Stadium — where England play Panama — will cost $150 (£111). There will be an alternative bus service, but even that will cost $80.
And when England play Ghana at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, there will be an $80 train or a $95 bus from the centre of Boston, where most England fans will be staying.