England's Possible Opponents in the 2026 World Cup Round of 32

The group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway, and teams are battling to secure their spots in the knockout rounds. England recently confirmed their advancement to the Round of 32, joining other nations still fighting for progression.

In their latest match, England struggled to break down a resilient Ghana defense, resulting in a 0-0 draw after numerous attempts on goal. This result left both teams sharing points at the top of Group L.

England began their tournament with a thrilling 4-2 win over Croatia. Captain Harry Kane opened the scoring, but Croatia's Martin Baturina equalized quickly. Kane scored again before halftime, only for Petar Musa to level the score once more. Early in the second half, Jude Bellingham put England ahead again, and Marcus Rashford secured the victory with a late goal, providing England with three valuable points.

With the draw against Ghana, both teams hold four points each atop Group L, but England’s +2 goal difference gives them a slight advantage as the group leader heading into the final matches.

Potential Round of 32 Opponents

If England finishes first in Group L, their next match will be against a third-place team from one of these groups: E, H, I, J, or K. If they finish second, they will face the runner-up from Group K.

Possible opponents if England wins Group L:

• Group E: Ivory Coast, Ecuador, Curaçao
• Group H: Uruguay, Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia
• Group I: Senegal, Iraq
• Group J: Austria, Algeria
• Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Congo DR, Uzbekistan

If England finishes second in Group L, potential opponents come from Group K:

• Portugal, Colombia, Congo DR, Uzbekistan

When Will England Play Their Round of 32 Match?

Should England top Group L, their Round of 32 fixture is scheduled for Wednesday, July 1 at 5 p.m. ET in Atlanta. If they finish second, the match will take place on Friday, July 3 at noon ET in Toronto, Canada.