England finally make their 2026 World Cup bow on Wednesday 17th June when they take on Croatia in Texas and we’ve got our very best Bet Builder tip.
England are aiming to end their trophy drought, which now stretches to 60 years. It’s not the easiest fixture to start their campaign, though. Croatia have made it to at least the semi-final in the last two tournaments and are a dangerous side.
We’ve been scouring the data & researching the markets and we think we’ve come up with a cracking bet builder priced at 23/1 with Sky Bet.
England vs Croatia Bet Builder Tip
England to win
The Three Lions arrive at AT&T Stadium in Arlington as clear favourites and in the best qualifying form of any European nation. Tuchel’s side went through European qualifying with eight wins from eight and a 22-0 goal difference – a record that underlines both the attacking depth and defensive organisation of this squad.
Croatia’s best generation has aged considerably since their 2018 and 2022 semi-final runs, and this group carries more uncertainty. Croatia won only one of their last five World Cup openers, suggesting they consistently struggle to hit peak form in opening fixtures. England, by contrast, have won each of their last two opening World Cup matches.
Tuchel’s fluid, press-heavy system generates chance after chance, and against a Croatia side offering less than before, three points feels like the most natural outcome on Wednesday evening.
Over 2.5 goals
The over 2.5 line looks genuinely attractive given the attacking quality England carry across their entire front line. Tuchel deploys a high-pressing, expansive 4-2-3-1 that floods forward quickly and generates significant shot volumes – a style that consistently produces goals.
Croatia still carry real attacking intent through Andrej Kramaric, who registered 18 goals and seven assists in the Bundesliga this season, and Petar Musa, who has plundered 12 goals in 13 MLS matches in 2026, making him arguably the form striker at the entire tournament.
Croatia also carry genuine counter-attacking threat through the evergreen Luka Modrić, who still reads the game better than almost anyone in world football. They remain unbeaten in World Cup group-stage matches across the last two tournaments, conceding only two goals during that run – but England’s firepower may finally test that record.
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Jude Bellingham to score anytime
This selection carries a caveat worth flagging. Reports suggest Tuchel is considering starting Bellingham from the bench, having used him more sparingly this season following injury disruption at Real Madrid. Bellingham registered six goals and four assists across 1,917 La Liga minutes in 2025-26 – solid rather than spectacular, reflecting a season disrupted by shoulder surgery.
If he starts, however, the case is compelling. He consistently delivers when it matters most, with two stoppage-time winners in Real Madrid-Barcelona Clásicos and decisive goals in major international tournaments. He scored against Iran in Qatar 2022 and produced his remarkable bicycle kick against Slovakia at Euro 2024 – defining moments that mark him as a big-game performer.
Against a Croatia side that Tuchel’s England should dominate for long periods, Bellingham’s movement into the box and composure in front of goal make him a strong anytime scorer selection if he starts.
Mateo Kovacic to be booked
The disciplinary case for Kovacic rests on a career-long pattern of combative midfield play. Kovacic has accumulated 36 yellow cards and committed 136 fouls across his 199 Premier League appearances for Manchester City – an average of roughly one booking every five and a half games at club level. His role for Croatia involves high defensive intensity – he presses relentlessly, wins tackles in dangerous areas and breaks up play with an aggression that earns referee attention in high-stakes matches.
Against a Tuchel side built on quick, vertical passing through the lines, Kovacic will face a relentless evening of defensive firefighting. England’s midfield runners – Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice and potentially Bellingham – all draw fouls and move at pace in tight spaces.
Kovacic’s career record makes him one of the most consistent booking selections in this Croatia squad, and a World Cup opener of this intensity gives him every reason to go in hard from the first whistle.
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