World Cup Group L: Teams, Fixtures, Predictions & Odds

The 12th and final group at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is Group L, a group featuring England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama.

As ever, there will be scrutiny on every English touch of the ball throughout the tournament, and Thomas Tuchel's side have a couple of hurdles to overcome right off the bat.

Below, Football Whispers breaks down Group L in full, including fixtures, latest odds and predictions.

World Cup 2026 Group L winner odds

• England – 4/11
• Croatia – 7/2
• Ghana – 9/1
• Panama- 20/1

England are the favourites to win Group L, and if the Three Lions fail to qualify as group winners, then Tuchel and his squad can expect plenty of negative headlines. Croatia are next in line, but could this be based more on historical achievement rather than the merits of the current squad?

World Cup 2026 Group L qualification odds

• England – 1/100
• Croatia – 1/5
• Ghana – 8/13
• Panama – 11/5

No side at the World Cup has been priced shorter than 1/100 to qualify for the knockout stages, so no pressure, England. Croatia and Ghana have also been priced at odds-on to make it through the group stages, while Panama are the group outsiders at 11/5.

World Cup 2026 Group L fixtures: Match-by-match schedule

Gameweek 1

• England vs Croatia
  • England: 8/13
  • Draw: 14/5
  • Croatia: 4/1
    
• Ghana vs Panama
  • Ghana: 19/20
  • Draw: 12/5
  • Panama: 14/5

Gameweek 2

• England vs Ghana
  • England: TBC
  • Draw: TBC
  • Ghana: TBC
    
• Panama vs Croatia
  • Panama: TBC
  • Draw: TBC
  • Croatia: TBC

Gameweek 3

• Panama vs England
  • Panama: TBC
  • Draw: TBC
  • England: TBC
    
• Croatia vs Ghana
  • Croatia: TBC
  • Draw: TBC
  • Ghana: TBC

2026 World Cup Group L predictions and betting angles

England

In terms of squad depth, the only other nation that is arguably superior to England's is France, which automatically makes the Three Lions serious contenders for the World Cup this summer.

Tuchel's men flew through qualifying, winning all eight of their matches, scoring 22 goals and conceding none in the process. However, that will all count for nothing if England don't go deep in the USA, Mexico and Canada.

One major plus point for the 1966 champions is the number of players they have in great club form. Harry Kane has scored 55 goals and counting in all competitions, while Declan Rice has led Arsenal to the brink of a Premier League and Champions League double.

If those two play at their top level and the other players around them step up, then England can finally end 60 years of hurt.

Croatia

Croatia are considered the second-best team in Group L, but England should not be as fearful of them as they were when the sides met in the World Cup semi-finals in 2018.

While some of the biggest names from that 2018 squad, including Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic, are expected to feature this time around, this is largely a group of players either past their best or not at the level of the previous generation.

Despite that, Zlatko Dalic led his side through an impressive qualifying group, which saw them win seven of their eight matches and finish six points clear of the Czech Republic in second.

Croatia should make it through Group L, but don't bank on them doing it as runners-up.

Ghana

Ever since their run to the quarter-finals in 2010, Ghana have felt like staples at the World Cup, and they provided plenty of entertainment back in 2022 before crashing out in the group stages.

This time around, they are being led into the tournament by Carlos Queiroz, who was only appointed as the new manager in April. The former Real Madrid manager has become a bit of an international specialist over the past decade, although his record at World Cups is not particularly good (16 games, four wins, four draws, eight losses).

Ghana can cause problems for both England and Croatia in Group L; however, a lot will depend on whether Kudus is fit enough to travel to the tournament. The Spurs forward is currently out with a hamstring injury, and there are doubts over his participation.

Panama

Panama are set to compete in just their second-ever World Cup this summer, and just like in 2018, they have been placed in the same group as England.

In Russia, Panama succumbed to a 6-1 defeat to England, and the goal at the absolute minimum this time around will be to perform better than they did that day.

There is more hope for the Central American outfit this time around, though. Thomas Christiansen Tarin's side went unbeaten in their qualifying group, and they have enjoyed some impressive wins over the past 18 months, including a 1-0 victory over the USA in March 2025.

Final Group L prediction

1. England
2. Croatia
3. Ghana
4. Panama

Group L best bets

There is nothing of any value in the outright stakes for Group L. Instead, check out the odds for each individual game and go from there. Potential shock results in Group L include Panama beating Ghana and Ghana beating Croatia.

Before you place your bet, make sure to check out the best World Cup 2026 betting offers for this summer's tournament.