England's potential route to the 2026 World Cup final

England know their potential pathway to the 2026 World Cup final after the draw and match schedule for the tournament was made in December. 

The Three Lions will face Croatia, Panama and Ghana in Group L, with all three matches taking place in the USA.

For the first time in World Cup history, 46 teams will participate in the tournament, which is a rise from the traditional 32-team format.

With England one of the World Cup favourites, DAZN News looks at their potential route to the final at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, on July 19.

• Read next | World Cup 2026 fixtures: Schedule, kick-off times, venues for every nation

Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

England handed favourable World Cup group

England were one of the top seeds during the World Cup draw and have been given a reasonably straightforward group.

Thomas Tuchel’s toughest opponents will be Croatia, who knocked them out of the 2018 competition in the semi-finals, but they are not the team they once were.

• Read next | What is the Group of Death in the 2026 World Cup? Who is in it?

The Three Lions will also face Panama and Ghana as the lower-ranked teams in their group, who are ranked 30 and 72 in the world, respectively.

Harry Kane scored a hat-trick in his country’s 6-1 win over Panama in the 2018 World Cup, while Ghana failed to qualify for AFCON.

Who could England face in the Round of 32?

If England win their group as expected, then they will face a third-place finisher from either Group E, H, I, J or K, meaning there are 20 possible teams they could face.

Germany, Spain, France, Argentina and Portugal are among those sides, but all are expected to top their respective groups.

Should Tuchel’s men finish second in their group, then they would head to Canada to face a fellow runner-up from Group K.

Colombia are the second-highest-ranked side in that group, meaning they would be England’s most likely opponent; otherwise, it would be one of Portugal, Uzbekistan or the winner of a play-off between DR Congo, Jamaica and New Caledonia.

In the unlikely scenario that England qualify as one of the eight best third-place sides, then they would play the winner from Group K.

England's potential opponents in Round of 16

If the Three Lions win their group, then the highest-ranked possible team that they could face in the Last 16 would be co-hosts Mexico, which would be set for the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

With that encounter scheduled to kick off at 1am GMT, England fans may be in for a long night against El Tri, who they have only faced once in a World Cup.

Finish second in their group, and Tuchel’s side would probably face the daunting prospect of Spain, who are expected to top Group H.

If the Three Lions finish third and progress to the Round of 16, then they would likely face either Canada or Switzerland in Vancouver, with kick-off set for 6pm on July 7.

Eric Alonso/Getty Images

Brazil the most likely quarter-final opponents

Should England top the group and progress to the quarter-finals, then their most likely opponents would be five-time champions Brazil.

While that may seem like a nightmare fixture, A Seleção only finished fifth in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers and have endured a turbulent couple of years.

The potential clash with Carlo Ancelotti’s side would take place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on July 11 and would be a repeat of the 2002 quarter-final, which Brazil won 2-1.

• Read next | Who will Brazil play at World Cup 2026? Dates, kick-off times and full schedule revealed

If the Three Lions finish second in their group and reach the quarter-finals, then they would likely play Belgium, while the USA are another possibility.

Finish third in their group, then Argentina would be England’s most likely opponents, with the match scheduled to take place on July 11 at 1am GMT.

England could face Argentina in the semi-finals

If England win their group and reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2018, then they could face another South American team in Argentina.

Should they meet, then the match is scheduled to take place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on July 15, with kick-off at 8pm GMT.

The two nations have met on four occasions in the World Cup, with England triumphing in 1966 and 2002, while Argentina won in 1986 and 1998.

• Read next | Why can't England play a top seed at the World Cup until the semi-finals?

Finish second in their group and reach the semi-finals, then Tuchel’s men would likely play France in the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, with kick-off set for 7pm GMT.

Didier Deschamps’ side have reached the last two World Cup finals and knocked the Three Lions out in the quarter-finals in Qatar 2022.

If England finish third in their group and manage to reach the semi-finals, then they would likely play either Brazil or the team that tops their own group.

Alex Pantling/Getty Images

England and Spain could compete in another final

Due to the new seeding rules, England will avoid facing top seeds Spain until the final, should they win their group or finish third.

However, if the Three Lions finish as runners-up, then they would most likely play reigning champions Argentina.

That match is scheduled to take place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on July 19, with kick-off set for 8pm GMT.

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