World Cup 2026 Picks: Group L Winner Prediction, Schedule & Team Previews

Thomas Tuchel’s England will be heavily favored to progress from Group L at this summer’s FIFA World Cup, but could there be a potential upset? Find the odds and our World Cup Group L picks here.   

World Cup 2026: Group L Odds

Group L Team	To Win Group L Odds	To Qualify Odds
England	-310	-10000
Croatia	+350	-472
Ghana	+1000	-161
Panama	+3300	+181

Group L World Cup Schedule

Matchday 1

• England vs. Croatia (June 17)
• Ghana vs. Panama (June 17)

Matchday 2

• England vs. Ghana (June 23)
• Panama vs. Croatia (June 23)

Matchday 3

• Panama vs. England (June 27)
• Croatia vs. Ghana (June 27)

Group L: Meet The Teams

England

• Manager: Thomas Tuchel
• Odds to Win World Cup: +700
• Best World Cup Performance: Winners (1966)
• Key Player: Harry Kane

Thomas Tuchel was appointed England manager for one reason- to win the World Cup. The Champions League winner oversaw a dominant qualifying period for the Three Lions, with the nation enjoying a perfect record and failing to concede a goal.

Setbacks have come in friendlies, losing to Senegal and Japan in the last 12 months. However, at full strength, the Three Lions boast one of the best squads in the tournament. Much will revolve around Harry Kane, who ended the most recent season with Bayern Munich with a staggering 60 goals.

Croatia

• Manager: Zlatko Dalic
• Odds to Win World Cup: +10000
• Best World Cup Performance: Runners-Up (2018)
• Key Player: Luka Modric

Croatia have been one of the most consistent nations in recent World Cup history, reaching the semi-finals in each of the last two editions. Another bold showing is challenging to rule out after winning seven of their eight qualifying matches.

An aging squad is a notable concern, with an overreliance on Luka Modric expected to be a common theme this summer. Mixed results in the March internationals reduces confidence, but they should be capable of finishing third-place at worst in Group L.

Ghana

• Manager: Carlos Queiroz
• Odds to Win World Cup: +40000
• Best World Cup Performance: Quarterfinals (2010)
• Key Player: Antoine Semenyo

Ghana are the wildcard in Group L. The nation has endured a challenging period after failing to qualify for AFCON, but they were professional throughout and progressed to the World Cup impressively with eight wins from ten matches.

Recent form is a negative, as the Black Stars have lost their previous five, scoring just twice in their last three and allowing nine goals. Antoine Semenyo is their star man after scoring eight goals in the second half of the season for Man City.

Panama

• Manager: Thomas Christansen
• Odds to Win World Cup: +150000
• Best World Cup Performance: Group Stage (2018)
• Key Player: Anibal Godoy

Panama will be the massive outsiders to qualify from Group L. The CONCACAF nation will be making their second appearance at the World Cup, exiting in the group stage back in 2018.

They qualified impressively with seven wins from ten. However, they lack the same star power across the field than many of their rivals in this group. Defensively, they are also vulnerable, having failed to keep a clean sheet in four internationals this year.  

World Cup 2026 Picks: Who Will Win Group L?

England should be hard to beat in Group L based on their strong offensive quality and their reliable defensive record. Ghana could join the Three Lions in the next round, as their counter-attacking ability could upset the odds against an aging Croatia.

• England to Win Group L @ -310 with BetOnline