England's path at the 2026 World Cup has been set, with Thomas Tuchel's side discovering their group during the expanded 48-team draw in Washington, D.C.
So how tough is their group, and what does the route look like if the Three Lions are to end a 60-year wait for a World Cup final?
Following Friday's ceremony, ESPN breaks down England's first obstacles, their possible knockout opponents, and what it all means for their journey across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
- England 2026 World Cup draw: Three Lions face Croatia, Panama, Ghana
- When, where are the games? How to watch, get tickets
- Brazil, Morocco headline tough group for Scotland
Who are England playing in the group stage?
England have been drawn in Group L alongside Croatia, Panama and Ghana.
England will open against Croatia, who beat Gareth Southgate's men in the 2018 World Cup semifinal, on June 17, with the game to be staged in either Toronto or Dallas.
They face Ghana on June 23 in Toronto or Boston, before completing the group on June 27 against Panama in either New York or Philadelphia.
How difficult is the group?
ESPN's Tom Hamilton: 'It's just like 2018 all over again.
'But facing Croatia first up is not what England would have wanted. The two know each other extremely well, with Croatia breaking their hearts in the semifinal of the 2018 World Cup thanks to Mario Mandzukic's extra-time winner.
'They're still a formidable side, ranked 10th in the world, and breezed through qualification.
'England have played Panama once previously -- back in the 2018 World Cup, where Gareth Southgate's men won 6-1 -- and it should be just as straight forward this time around.
'Ghana are a tricky task -- complete with Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo so it's not the easiest group.'
What is England's route to the final?
The group looks tricky, but not impossible. Getting to that long-awaited final looks much more difficult.
'If England get through, they'll face a third-placed side,' Hamilton adds. 'And their round of 16 could be a beauty -- it could be Mexico in Mexico City.
'Then it could be Brazil in the quarterfinal, and Argentina in the semifinal. It's a tricky path for Tuchel's men.'
Indeed, if England, Mexico and Brazil win their groups and their next games, there's a collision course leading up to the semifinals -- where England are 'seeded' to play Argentina as one of the top-four ranked teams.
England's round of 32 game would potentially be in Atlanta's Mercedes Benz Stadium, before heading to Mexico City -- where they were the victims of Diego Maradona's Hand of God in 1986.
Brazil could be in Miami, while Argentina would be back under the dome in Atlanta.
When and where will England's games be?
We already know the dates of England's group-stage matches at the 2026 World Cup, but kickoff times and stadium assignments won't be confirmed until Saturday.
We do, however, know the likely venues.
The full schedule reveal is set for Saturday, with FIFA presenting a live broadcast from 5 p.m. GMT.
This "allocation process," per FIFA, "aims to ensure the best possible conditions for all teams and spectators" and enables fans "to watch their teams play live across different time zones."
In practice, that means FIFA will place group-stage matches in the most suitable location based on time zones, of which there are four across the 16 host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
How do I get tickets?
The first batch of tickets for the 2026 World Cup went on sale in October, and Phase 1 and Phase 2 have already been completed. More than two million tickets have been sold so far.
The Random Selection Draw marks the third phase of ticketing, starting on Dec. 11. Fans can submit applications for specific matches by creating an account on the FIFA website, and a unique ID. This enables you to participate in a lottery, and if you are successful FIFA will email you and give you up to 72 hours to purchase a ticket.
Fans in the host nations have a 72-hour priority window.
There is a sales window from Dec. 11 to Jan. 13 when fixed prices will be used for customers buying in the random selection draw.
FIFA have said they will now not utilise "dynamic pricing," where the price of a ticket can fluctuate based on demand.
"FIFA can confirm ringfenced allocations are being set aside for specific fan categories, as has been the case at previous FIFA World Cups," a FIFA statement read. "These allocations will be set at a fixed price for the duration of the next ticket sales phase.
"The ringfenced allocations include tickets reserved for supporters of the Participating Member Associations (PMAs), who will be allocated 8% of the tickets for each match in which they take part, including all conditional knockout stage matches."
The cheapest tickets for the group stage are $60 (£45). The most expensive tickets for the final are $6,730 (£5,094).
Closer to the tournament, there will be a Last-Minute Sales Phase where a first-come first-served policy will also fans to buy any remaining tickets.
Controversially, FIFA has a 'Resale-Exchange Marketplace' resale platform where tickets can be resold at any price, usually much higher than face value. The governing body is also adding 15% charges on both the buyer and the seller.
How can I watch England's matches?
The 2026 World Cup will be shown free-to-air on the BBC and ITV in the UK, the places to watch every England game. Television and audio coverage will be provided by the rival broadcasters.
BBC will provide live TV coverage and highlights across their portfolio of channels and iPlayer. BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra will provide audio coverage, as well as BBC Sounds.
ITV will provide match coverage across ITV1, ITV4 and ITVX.
The World Cup final will be shared between BBC and ITV.