Our 25/1 four-fold bet builder with bet365 for the England vs Croatia Group L opener at Dallas Stadium combines England to win at 8/11, Both teams to score at 11/10, Harry Kane over 1.5 shots on target at 6/5, and Marin Pongracic to be booked at 7/2.
Kick-off is 9pm UK time on Wednesday 17 June. Live on ITV1.
England vs Croatia Match Preview
England’s first fixture of their World Cup 2026 campaign is, on paper, the hardest of their three group matches. Coming up against Croatia, a side they haven’t always fared well against, won’t be an easy task for Thomas Tuchel’s side.
The Three Lions do however, have one of the strongest squads in the competition, and are one of the favourites to go all the way and win it. They won their two World Cup warm-up matches against New Zealand and Costa Rica, and they come into this fixture as favourites.
Croatia also have a good side, and I think they’ll take England all the way in this group. They won one and lost one of their two warm-up matches, losing to Belgium before defeating Slovenia 2-1. They won seven of their eight qualification matches, drawing the other, so they’re a very strong side.
England vs Croatia Bet Builder (25/1 with bet365)
| Bet Builder Leg | Odds |
|---|---|
| England to win | 8/11 |
| Both teams to score | 11/10 |
| Harry Kane over 1.5 shots on target | 6/5 |
| Marin Pongracic to be booked | 7/2 |
| Combined four-fold (bet365) | 25/1 |
England to win (8/11)
I think England will hit the ground running in this World Cup with a victory over Croatia. There’s a lot of pressure on Thomas Tuchel’s side, as they look to win the biggest prize for the first time since 1966. There’s a lot of expectation on their shoulders, but I think they have enough quality to kick-start their campaign in a positive manner. England won eight of eight in their World Cup qualification group, scoring 22 and conceding zero goals in the process, finishing 10 points ahead of Albania who finished second in the group. I think they have more quality than Croatia, and I think they’ll pick up the three points here.
Best Bet Builder Tip — Both teams to score @ 11/10
It won’t be an easy game for England, and despite thinking they’ll win, I do think both teams will get themselves on the scoresheet. Conceding zero goals in the qualifiers was a fantastic showing, but to do that on the world’s biggest stage would be a much harder task. Croatia have been a sticky side for England over the years, with the most notable defeat coming in the semi-final of the World Cup in 2018, a game they lost 2-1 after extra-time. In the last 10 between these two, both teams have scored in seven of them. I think both teams to score is a safe bet in this one.
Harry Kane over 1.5 shots on target (6/5)
This is probably the most expected selection on this bet builder. Harry Kane has been England’s main man for many years now, and he’s showing no signs of letting up. Last season, he scored 61 goals in his 51 appearances in all competitions, with 36 in 31 appearances in the Bundesliga. For England, he scored eight in eight throughout their World Cup qualifying campaign, an average of one goal per game. England will create a good amount of chances here, and I think 6/5 is good odds for the captain to have two or more shots on target.
Marin Pongracic to be booked (7/2)
The player I’m taking to be booked is Croatian central defender Marin Pongracic. The 28-year-old plies his trade with Fiorentina in Serie A, in which he featured in 35 league matches last season. In that time, he was booked 12 times, with a further five yellow cards received in his 12 Europa Conference League fixtures. He was also carded once in his four appearances throughout Croatia’s World Cup qualifying campaign. Coming up against England’s very strong front line, I expect him to make several fouls, and I think 7/2 is great odds for him to pick up a card here.
England vs Croatia Key Stats
- England won 8 of 8 World Cup qualifying matches, scoring 22 goals and conceding 0
- England finished 10 points ahead of Albania in their qualifying group
- England won both pre-tournament warm-ups against New Zealand and Costa Rica
- Croatia won 7 of 8 qualifying matches with the other a draw
- Croatia warm-up results: lost to Belgium, beat Slovenia 2-1
- Harry Kane scored 61 goals in 51 appearances last season across all competitions
- Kane scored 36 goals in 31 Bundesliga appearances last season for Bayern Munich
- Kane scored 8 goals in 8 England qualifying matches — one per game
- Marin Pongracic picked up 12 yellow cards in 35 Serie A matches for Fiorentina last season
- Pongracic added 5 yellow cards in 12 Europa Conference League fixtures
- Pongracic was booked once in his 4 World Cup qualifying appearances for Croatia
- Both teams have scored in 7 of the last 10 meetings between England and Croatia
- Most notable past meeting: Croatia 2-1 England in the 2018 World Cup semi-final (Mandžukić winner in extra time)
- England are looking to win the World Cup for the first time since 1966
- Group L also contains Ghana and Panama
- This is Thomas Tuchel’s first World Cup match as England manager
England vs Croatia Bet Builder Summary
| Bet Builder Leg | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| England to win | 8/11 | bet365 |
| Both teams to score | 11/10 | bet365 |
| Harry Kane over 1.5 shots on target | 6/5 | bet365 |
| Marin Pongracic to be booked | 7/2 | bet365 |
| Combined four-fold | 25/1 | bet365 |
Alternative Bet — Harry Kane to score @ 13/10
Taking Harry Kane to score at odds of 13/10 very slightly shortens the odds of this bet builder to 24/1, with best odds found with Bet MGM. With eight in eight in qualifying, I think there’s a great chance he will score here in England’s opener.
How to Watch England vs Croatia in the UK
Kick-off: 9pm UK time, Wednesday 17 June 2026
TV: ITV1 (free-to-air) — coverage begins approximately 8pm
Live streaming: ITVX (free with sign-up)
Venue: Dallas Stadium
Group: L (alongside Ghana and Panama)
Get a Free Bet for England vs Croatia
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For a full comparison of UK welcome offers specifically for this fixture, see our England vs Croatia free bets and welcome offers guide — twelve UK bookmaker welcome offers compared, including the established UK names and ProgressPlay-network deals.
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Jake has been on the thatsagoal.com team for over 5 years, and he is the person responsible for the bet builders across the Premier League and Champions League. His background in journalism means the articles are perfectly written, and each prediction is explained with stats and reasoning to back them up. There have been countless winners from Jake, including a 66/1 win in the FA Cup final when Manchester City were beaten by Crystal Palace.