England face Croatia in their opening World Cup match, kicking off at 6am AEST.
Match Preview
This is their fourth meeting in a major tournament since 2004. Croatia defeated England 2-1 in extra time in the 2018 World Cup semifinal, while England won the two European Championship encounters.
Tournament Pedigree
Croatia has reached the semifinals in two of the last three World Cups — finishing as runner-up in 2018 and third place in 2022.
Key Player: Luka Modrić
Luka Modrić, captain and midfielder, is playing in his fifth World Cup after recovering from a broken cheekbone. He is just two caps away from 200 for Croatia.
"The greatest strength of Croatia in recent editions of the World Cup has always been unity... When the group is compact, we can compete with anyone." — Luka Modrić