World Cup Group L Betting Guide: Odds, Schedule & Preview
Group L is complete at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with England winning the group and Ghana finishing second to secure the two automatic qualification spots for the Round of 32. Croatia finished third, while Panama was eliminated after ending the group stage at the bottom of the standings. England entered the tournament as the favorite to top the group and ultimately lived up to those expectations.
2026 World Cup Group L Odds
One of the major reasons why World Cup betting is so popular is the range of betting markets available before and throughout the tournament. Most sportsbooks provide a variety of Group-specific markets, including the following:
- To Win Group
- Group Runner Up
- To Finish Third
- To Finish Bottom
- Group Qualification Yes/No
- Group Forecast
- To Win All Group Games
- To Lose All Group Games
- To Qualify From Group
Group L Tiebreaker Rules
If two or more teams finish with the same number of points in the group stage, the standings are decided by the following criteria:
- Goal difference
- Total goals scored
- Points earned in head-to-head matches
- Goal difference in head-to-head matches
- Goals scored in head-to-head matches
- Fair play record
- Drawing of lots
2026 World Cup Group L Preview: Preview, Favorites & Qualification Scenarios
England entered Group L as the favorite and ultimately delivered by finishing top of the group. Croatia looked like the main threat, but Ghana proved to be the bigger challenger and secured second place.
Ghana’s quality showed throughout the group stage, as they avoided the third-place route and qualified automatically for the Round of 32. Croatia finished third, while Panama ended bottom of the group and was eliminated.
World Cup Group L Schedule
Take a look below, we’ve detailed the dates and kick-off times for all World Cup Group L fixtures. Note that the final group stage games will kick off at the same time.
Matchday 1
- Wednesday, June 17th: England vs Croatia – 4 p.m. ET (AT&T Stadium, Arlington)
- Wednesday, June 17th: Ghana vs Panama – 7 p.m. ET (BMO Field, Toronto)
Matchday 2
- Tuesday, June 23rd: England vs Ghana – 4 p.m. ET (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough)
- Tuesday, June 23rd: Panama vs Croatia – 7 p.m. ET (BMO Field, Toronto)
Matchday 3
- Saturday, June 27th: Panama vs England – 5 p.m. ET (MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford)
- Saturday, June 27th: Croatia vs Ghana – 5 p.m. ET (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
Group L Team Profiles
We’ve analysed the chances each Group L side has of progressing through the group and reaching the Knockout Stages. Read our assessment below.
England
Qualifying for the World Cup 2026 was quite the breeze for England. They won all eight of their UEFA Group K matches, scoring 22 and conceding none in the process. True, they’ll be up against much tougher opponents in the World Cup, but it was an impressive qualification campaign nonetheless.
England tends to stutter when they reach the latter stages of tournaments. They reached the quarterfinals in 2022, preceded by a semifinal appearance in 2018. The 1966 World Cup winners will be looking to go even further this time around and are one of the favorites to win the tournament outright.
- Key Players: Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham
Croatia
Croatia also enjoyed a near-perfect qualification campaign. Winning seven and drawing one of the UEFA Group L qualifying games, Croatia booked its spot for 2026 with ease.
There are a couple of injury concerns affecting the Croatia squad, with Josko Gvardiol missing most of his club season at Manchester City. However, it’s thought the star defender will be fit enough to appear.
This is the seventh World Cup tournament Croatia has qualified for. They’ve reached the semifinals twice, most recently in 2022. They also reached the Final in 2018, where they were beaten 4-2 by France.
- Key Players: Luka Modric, Josko Gvardiol
Ghana
Ghana is another side that comfortably booked its place in the 2026 World Cup. After winning eight and drawing one of the qualifying games, Ghana topped CAF Group I with ease.
While many are expecting England and Croatia to finish in first and second, it’s important not to write off Ghana. There’s quality throughout the squad, and they’re more than capable of causing problems for their Group L opponents.
This is the fifth World Cup tournament Ghana has qualified for. They’ll be looking to improve on their 2022 performance, where they failed to get out of their Group.
- Key Players: Antoine Semenyo, Inaki Williams
Panama
Panama didn’t lose a game as they booked their place at the 2026 World Cup. They sailed through CONCACAF qualifying to reach the World Cup for the second time in their history.
Their last appearance came in 2018, where they failed to earn a point, finishing bottom of their Group. It’s difficult to see where they can pick up points this time around, too, but they do head into the tournament in excellent form.
- Key Players: Ismael Diaz, Adalberto Carrasquilla
Group L Winner Prediction: Croatia ()
This might be a slightly controversial prediction, but I think Croatia will top Group L. England are odds-on favorites to do so, but Croatia are criminally underpriced. A lot will depend on the opening Group L game, but Croatia’s recent World Cup form gives them the edge.
Group L Prop Bet: Croatia 1st England 2nd (+450 at DraftKings)
Following on from our Winner prediction, odds of for Croatia to top the group and England to finish in second have caught my eye. Both should do enough to comfortably qualify in first and second place, but we think overall Croatia has the edge.
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World Cup Group L betting FAQs
Who is the favorite to win Group L?
England is the favorite to win Group L (). We think Croatia will pip them to first place, but it’s the 1966 winners who the sportsbooks are predicting will top Group L.
What players should I look out for in Group L?
There’ll be some fantastic talent on show in World Cup Group L. The England squad features some of the best players in world football, including Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. Croatia has Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic amongst their many talents. We’re also looking forward to seeing what Ghana’s Antoine Semenyo can do on the biggest stage.
