Group L might not be the flashiest draw at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but it has genuine intrigue: a sleeping giant finally expected to wake up, a perennial overachiever running on fumes of pride, and two teams from CONCACAF and Africa who have shown, at different moments, that they belong on the biggest stage.
The Favorites
England enters this tournament carrying the weight of expectation that only comes with decades of near-misses. The Three Lions have been building toward something real — a semifinal in Russia, a final at Euro 2020, a semifinal in Qatar. The machinery is there. A deep, talented squad with genuine quality across every line, Premier League-hardened players comfortable on the grandest occasions, and a tactical structure that has grown more sophisticated with each major tournament cycle. England plays a controlled, possession-based game with the ability to shift into a more direct, high-tempo attack when the moment demands it. If there is a group in this tournament England should be winning comfortably, this is it.
Croatia, as always, refuses to be dismissed. A nation of fewer than four million people that reached the World Cup final in 2018 and the semifinal in 2022 — that is not luck, that is culture. Croatian football is built on technical intelligence, midfield craft, and a collective mentality that seems to grow stronger when the pressure rises. The core of their golden generation is aging, and questions about depth are fair, but Croatia has answered those questions before. They remain a genuine threat to finish second.
Who Advances
I'd expect England to win this group without serious drama. Their squad depth alone should be enough to handle three opponents at this level, and arriving at a World Cup on home soil — well, North American soil — with the eyes of an entire nation watching tends to focus the mind. Croatia, in my view, should have enough quality and tournament savvy to claim second place, though they'll need their experienced heads to carry younger legs through the group stage.
The eight best third-place finishers do advance to the Round of 32 under the expanded 48-team format, which gives Panama and Ghana a genuine lifeline even if they fall short of second. A point or two could be enough to sneak through, so neither side will be playing for nothing in their final group game.
Dark Horse
Ghana is my pick to complicate things. The Black Stars have a history of punching above their weight on the world stage — they reached the quarterfinals in 2010 and came agonizingly close to the semifinal. Ghanaian football produces technically gifted, physically dynamic players, and if they arrive with a settled squad and momentum, they are more than capable of snatching a result against Croatia or making England's life uncomfortable. A group stage exit is the most likely outcome, but if Ghana finds their best form, they could make the third-place route to the Round of 32 very real.
Key Players to Watch
England's attack has been one of the most discussed in world football for years, and whoever leads the line will carry enormous expectation. Their creativity through midfield and the pace they can deploy wide are genuine weapons. Watch how England's attack clicks in the early games — if the combinations are sharp from the jump, they could run away with this group.
For Croatia, the midfield remains the heartbeat. Their ability to control tempo, recycle possession under pressure, and dictate the rhythm of a match has defined them for a generation. That unit, however it is configured by 2026, will determine how far Croatia goes.
Panama will rely on organization and set-piece threat — they are a side that makes you work for everything. Ghana's best players tend to be dynamic, box-to-box contributors who can shift a game's momentum in a single sequence.
Prediction
This is purely my opinion, but here is how I see Group L finishing:
- England — Win the group, probably with a perfect or near-perfect record.
- Croatia — Enough quality and experience to hold off the chasing pack.
- Ghana — Competitive enough to put themselves in the conversation for a third-place qualification spot.
- Panama — Likely to fight hard but fall short of the points needed to advance.
England's moment feels close. Croatia's story never really ends. And somewhere in the middle of it all, Ghana is waiting to remind everyone why African football deserves more respect.
Follow Group L live — standings, fixtures, and the knockout bracket as it fills in — on our World Cup 2026 hub, and get the full tournament breakdown in our complete guide.