World Cup Group L Preview

Group L

England → Qualified as UEFA group winner, ranked 4th in the FIFA rankings

Croatia → Qualified as UEFA group winner, ranked 11th in the FIFA rankings

Ghana → Qualified as CAF group winner, ranked 73rd in the FIFA rankings

Panama → Qualified as a CONCACAF group winner, ranked 34th in the FIFA rankings


England Team Preview

England qualified easily for the 2026 World Cup, going undefeated in their group and having a goal differential of +22. They’ve only taken two losses since the start of 2025, to Senegal and Japan, tied with Uruguay, and have only beaten one team that qualified for the World Cup. As usual, England has put out a very strong side with top players from across every league. I see England going far in the tournament but will not win the whole thing. It’s not coming home yet again. 


Croatia Team Preview

Croatia has qualified for their seventh World Cup and have only missed one in the entirety of them being a country. They have one of the best overall World Cup records, having two third place finishes and one runner-up finish. They cruised through their qualifying group, tying just one game and having a goal differential of +22. Croatia is at the end of their Golden Generation, which will be highlighted by the amazing careers of Ivan Perisic and Luka Modric. These guys are as stacked as ever and are ready for their rematch of the 2018 World Cup semi-finals where Croatia got the victory. 


Ghana Team Preview

The Black Stars are back for the second straight World Cup and fifth in the last six. Ghana won their qualifying group with a solid cushion and a goal difference of +17. Their group, however, was not necessarily strong. What is the most concerning thing for Ghana heading into the tournament is the fact that they haven’t won a game since October 12, 2025 and have struggled to score goals in their five game losing streak and a single draw against Wales. Ghana has historically performed well at the World Cup, but I don’t see them doing much here. 


Panama Team Preview

The Panamanians are at their second World Cup ever after qualifying for their first in 2018. They are hoping to do much better this time around as they lost all three games and gave up 11 goals in Russia. Panama had a strong qualification, winning 7 of their 10 games across the two rounds and losing none of them. They have a veteran squad with Adalberto Carrasquilla, Anibal Godoy, and Amir Murillo. I see them competing for results and even likely getting a win in this group. I am not sure if they will advance to the knockout stage, but they will do better than last time. 


Ben’s Predictions


Best Game: England vs Croatia

How can this not be the best game of the group? These two teams have developed a bit of a rivalry since the 2018 World Cup and they do not like each other. This is going to be a game filled with fireworks and both teams are absolutely going after each other. On top of this, it’s the first game of the group so we don’t have to wait too long to see it. 


Underrated Game: Panama vs England

Panama are a sneaky good team and could be in a position to potentially grab second or secure third in their final game of the group stage. England could have their spot secured, so they might be taking it easier against the Panamanians, something that would end very poorly for them. I see this being another great game where Panama could steal a result.


Dark Horse: Panama

Panama has been a scrappy team for a long time and in World Cups, it’s not always the teams playing the prettiest football that wins games. Stronger teams like England and Croatia may struggle against the Panama style of play and I see them taking down Ghana on top of this. Look for Panama to shock the big dogs and maybe steal an automatic qualification spot. 


Let Down Team: Croatia

As much as I love the Croatian side, I can see where they may falter and it starts with their veterans. They rely heavily on some of the older players of the group and if they have a few tough games, Croatia may be sweating out their final game to see if they qualify for the knockouts. I do see them doing well in the group, but I can see where issues could arise. 


Final Group Stage Results

  1. England

  2. Croatia

  3. Panama*

  4. Ghana

*Panama advances as a top third place finisher.


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