England vs Croatia Key Stats: FIFA World Cup 2026

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• The only previous FIFA World Cup meeting between England and Croatia came in the 2018 semi‑finals, where Croatia advanced to the final with a 2-1 extra‑time win in Moscow. Kieran Trippier scored first for England before Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic completed the Croatian comeback.
• The nations have also met twice in the UEFA European Championship, England winning both group games – 4-2 in 2004 in Lisbon and 1-0 in 2021 in London.
• Overall, England have won six of the teams’ 11 matches, and Croatia three with two draws.
• Champions in 1966, England are making their 17th FIFA World Cup appearance in 2026, continuing a streak of eight consecutive qualifications – their longest ever.
• The Three Lions were the first European team to earn a spot at the 2026 finals, having qualified with two games to spare courtesy of a 5-0 victory over Latvia in Riga on 14 October 2025 which ensured they finished top of their qualifying group. They closed out the campaign with a perfect record of eight wins from eight matches — a feat matched only in Europe by Norway — and stood alone as the only European nation not to concede a single goal.
• England’s total of 13 goals at Qatar 2022 is their highest total in a single edition of the competition. When Marcus Rashford found the net for the second time against Wales in the group stage, they became only the seventh side to score 100 World Cup goals, joining Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Italy, France and Spain – their total now stands at 104.
• Gary Lineker remains the only player to score ten goals for England at the FIFA World Cup, while all-time top scorer Harry Kane is just two goals shy of matching that milestone.
• England have lost six of their last eight FIFA World Cup matches against European opposition (W2). Their overall record versus UEFA teams at the finals stands at P39 W14 D12 L13.
• England have been beaten only four times in their last 19 FIFA World Cup group‑stage fixtures against UEFA nations (W8 D7).
• England have lost only four of their last 26 FIFA World Cup group stage matches (W12 D10).
• England have lost their opening match in just one of their last eight FIFA World Cup appearances (W4 D3).
• Croatia are appearing at the FIFA World Cup for the seventh time in the eight editions held since their debut in 1998.
• Croatia enjoyed an unbeaten campaign on their way to reaching the 2026 finals, recording seven wins and one draw from eight matches. Dominating their group, they finished six points clear of second-placed Czechia. Their haul of 26 goals marked a record high for the team in any edition of World Cup qualifying.
• The Croatians have graced the podium in each of the last two tournaments, finishing runners-up in 2018 and clinching third place in 2022.
• The Balkans boast a perfect record in FIFA World Cup penalty shoot-outs, having prevailed in all four that they have contested. Notably, in the last two editions, they advanced through both the round of 16 and quarter-finals thanks to their success from the spot.
• Croatia have tasted defeat in just two of their last 14 FIFA World Cup matches (W6 D6), with both of those losses coming against the eventual champions: France in the 2018 final and Argentina in the last four at the 2022 tournament.
• Luka Modric is set to become the first Croatian to line up at five editions of FIFA’s global showpiece. Widely regarded as the nation’s greatest-ever player, if he features here, it will be his 20th appearance at the tournament.
• Croatia have lost only two of their 11 FIFA World Cup matches against European opposition (W6 D3), both defeats coming against France (the 1998 semi‑final and 2018 final). They remain unbeaten in group stage meetings (W2 D1).
• Croatia are unbeaten in their last six FIFA World Cup group matches (W4 D2).
• Croatia have kept five clean sheets in their last eight FIFA World Cup group matches.
• Croatia have won their opening match in one of their last five FIFA World Cup participations (D1 L3).
• Zlatko Dalic is leading Croatia at a third consecutive FIFA World Cup and is the only person to have coached the nation at more than one edition.
• Jordan Henderson is participating in his fourth FIFA World Cup, equalling the England record previously held solely by Bobby Charlton. Henderson also celebrates his 36th birthday on the day of this match. The only English players to make a FIFA World Cup appearance on their birthday are Roger Hunt (1966) and Frank Lampard (2006) — both aged 28.
• At 19 years 113 days, Luka Vuskovic could become the first teenager ever to make a FIFA World Cup appearance for Croatia.

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