England and Croatia to meet at 2026 World Cup opener in Dallas
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off with England facing Croatia at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday 17 June. The match starts at 20:00 CET (3 p.m. CDT) and will be shown on Fox and Telemundo in the United States.
Betting markets list England as the favourite, with odds around –136 and a 56‑57 % implied win probability on prediction platforms. Oddsmakers give Croatia a +400 underdog price. The French referee Clement Turpin, labelled a “Grade E” official by England coach Thomas Tuchel, will oversee the game, adding a layer of intrigue for markets.
Fans attending the Dallas venue face steep venue prices: a 16‑oz draft beer costs $18.50, non‑alcoholic beer $16.95 and a 20‑oz water $8.25. Food items such as chips, nachos and chicken tenders range from $7 to $16.75.
The crypto platform Chiliz has launched a token‑burn program tied to match results, though England has no official fan token. Chiliz’s native token CHZ trades around $0.03.
England players are wearing Whoop fitness trackers for recovery monitoring, a device not officially sponsored by the FA. "You can feel the excitement…" said Croatia communications head Tomislav Pacak, while England midfielder Declan Rice joked about his sunburn after arriving in Kansas City.
Both teams entered the tournament after unbeaten qualifying runs, with England posting eight wins and Croatia topping Group L on goal difference.