Positioned as one of the top three favorites to win the World Cup, England is a heavy favorite to take the first step in that quest and win Group L. In addition Harry Kane is the second favorite behind Kylian Mbappe to win the Golden Boot award. As long as England doesn’t get carried away with individual accomplishments and keeps the team goal in mind, they should win the group comfortably.
With second place advancing to the knockout stage the battle here appears to be between Croatia, Ghana and Panama. Plenty of aging stars are competing with Croatia’s Luka Modric playing in his fifth World Cup. There are concerns about the overall age of the roster. Panama lacks the star power of other teams and will more than likely be the group punching bag, leaving the fight for second between Croatia and Ghana. They face each other in the final group stage game on June 27 in Philadelphia.
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Odds to win Group L
England -300
Croatia +340
Ghana +1100
Panama +4500
Two lackluster matches in the March friendly zone didn’t affect England’s odds. A deeper dive shows why. In a 1-1 draw with Uruguay and a 1-0 loss to Japan, coach Thomas Tuchel used 35 players and was adamant about using the matches to assess his team over individuals performance. A runner-up and third place in the last two World Cups shows Croatia’s ability to perform on the big stage. While they are tournament-tested the Croats also have an aging core.
Odds for Group L teams to win World Cup
England +650
Croatia +9000
Ghana +45000
Panama +155000
England barely broke a sweat in qualifying winning all eight matches while not conceding a goal. They clearly are one of the three best teams in the tournament, but they face the same question they have since winning the World Cup in 1966 and that’s whether they can deliver a dominant performance when the chips are down in the knockout round. After a poor showing in the 2024 European Championship there were more questions about Croatia and its aging roster. They returned to greatness in qualifying with seven wins and a draw outscoring opponents 26-4.
Group L Team Previews
England -300
England always seems to enter the World Cup with short odds and high expectations. And since 1966 they’ve failed to live up to the hype. What this team possesses is primed to change that. The focal point of the offense is Kane, who led the Bundesliga with 36 goals in 31 matches, nearly doubling the number of goals from the next highest player. Throw in immense talents Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice, England has an explosive attack and unmatched roster depth within the group.
Group Match Schedule:
June 17: vs. Croatia, 4 p.m. ET, Arlington, US
June 23: vs. Ghana, 4 p.m. ET, Foxboro, US
June 27: vs. Panama, 5 p.m. ET, New Jersey, US
Croatia +340
With basically the same roster that reached the final and finished third in the previous two World Cups, Croatia is a club that can potentially cause problems, especially after their run through qualifying. The head of the snake Luka Modric is 40 and the remainder of the core is getting older. That was a big concern for the squad though it showed resiliency with a run of seven wins and a draw to qualify as group winners. Three key players, including Modric, face fitness concerns ahead of the World Cup.
Group Match Schedule:
June 17: vs. England, 4 p.m. ET, Arlington, US
June 23: vs. Panama, 7 p.m. ET, Toronto, CN
June 27: vs. Ghana, 5 p.m. ET, Philadelphia, US
Ghana +1100
A coaching change several months before the World Cup isn’t ideal for squad continuity. However the group was rocked with March losses to Austria and Germany forcing the change. Ghana showed a noticeable lack of discipline in its loss and that’s one area new manager Carlos Queiroz vowed to change. The team has talent to compete in the group with Premier League standout Antoine Semenyo and Thomas Partey threats. In a steep blow Ghana will be without dangerous Mohammed Kudus.
Group Match Schedule:
June 17: vs. Panama, 7 p.m. ET, Toronto, CN
June 23: vs. England, 4 p.m. ET, Foxboro, US
June 27: vs. Croatia, 5 p.m. ET, Philadelphia, US
Panama +4500
Panama won its most matches ever in qualifying with several comebacks that show they won’t be a pushover. However, the likes of Suriname and El Salvador don’t match up with what they’ll see in the group stage. They have established themselves as a disciplined, resilient group but lack the defensive structure and top tier star power to tangle with the better clubs.
Group Match Schedule:
June 17: vs. Ghana, 7 p.m. ET, Toronto, CN
June 23: vs. Croatia, 7 p.m. ET, Toronto, CN
June 27: vs. England, 5 p.m. ET, New Jersey, US
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