England’s lineup features Pickford, Konsa, O’Reilly, Stones, James, Rice, Anderson, Bellingham, Kane, Gordon, and Madueke. Croatia counters with Livakovic, Stanisic, Gvardiol, Sutalo, Vuskovic, Modric, Pasalic, Baturina, Sucic, Perisic, and Musa.
While soccer excitement unfolds in Texas, art has emerged in Shoreditch, east London. Keith Williams notes, “Dunno if it’s of interest but I’m sketching the England fans at the Old Blue Last,” showcasing his impressive work. Enjoy, observe, interpret, and appreciate the scene.
Our correspondent in Arlington shares the latest updates. Ed Aarons, a Guardian football writer and occasional meteorologist, provides insights.
“It’s going to be a hot one at the Dallas Stadium for England’s opening game of the World Cup against Croatia, with temperatures expected to exceed 33 degrees when the game kicks off. Thankfully there is air conditioning throughout with a capacity crowd of 70,000 expected. Lots of England and Croatia fans have been gathering over the road from one of the entrances outside a Walmart, which I would imagine is much cheaper than buying drinks inside Fifa-land …”
Some early team news comes from Jacob Steinberg.
“As predicted in today’s Super Soaraway Guardian, Jude Bellingham gets the nod at No10 for England. Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke are on the flanks, with the latter preferred to Bukayo Saka, who’s been trying to shake off an Achilles problem. Ezri Konsa is picked over Marc Guehi in central defence too.”
In our comprehensive Player Guide, find profiles of every player heading to North America this summer, meticulously crafted by experts worldwide. An Official Guardian Guarantee™ ensures no trace of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Explore Bracketology to curate your unique World Cup fantasy. Click, drag, and plot a route, or shuffle for surprises. After testing the shuffle feature, I discovered Curaçao triumphing over Iraq in the final. Once again, England didn’t progress beyond their group, leading me to suspect the coding was done in Glasgow. Nevertheless, it’s entertaining, so give it a try!
As the tournament progresses into its seventh day, England finally embarks on their journey. They belong to Tom’s 26. Hear the cheers of red, white, and … who recalls that nostalgic song anyway? The key point is that after a long wait, England is ready to start their campaign.
Whether England would have preferred Croatia as their first opponent is debatable. England boasts a youthful and dynamic squad, while Croatia’s core players are mostly in their 30s, with captain Luka Modric entering his fifth decade. Yet, Croatia reached the final in 2018 and the semi-finals last time around, indicating that their experience carries weight.
The historical context adds another layer to this matchup. England has claimed victory in their last two encounters with Croatia, in November 2018 and Euro 2020. However, the more significant clashes in Euro 2008 qualifying and the 2018 World Cup semi-final favored Croatia, leaving a lasting impact. While England might have preferred to kick off against teams like Panama or Ghana, they find themselves facing Croatia. Can England seize the moment this time? Kickoff is set for 9 PM BST, which is 3 PM local time at the Dallas Cowboys’ home in Arlington, Texas. The anticipation is palpable!
