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Harry Kane and the England men's national team know its path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and it's not going to be easy for the Three Lions.
England won Group L with wins over Croatia and Panama, as well as a scoreless draw with Ghana. England remains one of the favorite teams to lift the title on July 19 with odds at +700, tied with Spain and behind both France and Argentina.
Here's what you need to know about England's path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup final:
How England's Path Was Decided
(Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
This simulation of England's path to the World Cup final assumes two things:
- That the team wins every one of its knockout stage games.
- That the team with the highest FIFA ranking in every other matchup wins as expected, starting with the round of 32.
This creates the hardest — and maybe most realistic — path for England to make the final.
Round of 32 vs. DR Congo
(Photo by Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Date: July 1
Location: Atlanta
- Opponent: DR Congo
- FIFA Rank: 41
- Record: 1W-1D-1L
- Odds To Win The Tournament: +100000(30th-best)
Round of 16 vs. Mexico
(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Date: July 5
Location: Mexico City
- Opponent: Mexico
- FIFA Rank: 9
- Record: 3W-0D-0L
- Odds To Win The Tournament: +5000 (tied for 14th-best)
Quarterfinals vs. Brazil
(Photo by Andre Ricardo/Sports Press Photo/Getty Images)
Date: July 11
Location: Miami
- Opponent: Brazil
- FIFA Rank: 5
- Record: 3W-1D-0L
- Odds To Win The Tournament: +1700 (tied for 7th-best)
Semifinals vs. Argentina
(Getty Images)
Date: July 15
Location: Atlanta
- Opponent: Argentina
- FIFA Rank: 1
- Record: 3W-0D-0L
- Odds To Win The Tournament: +400 (2nd-best)
Final vs. France
(Getty Images)
Date: July 19
Location: New York/New Jersey
- Opponent: France
- FIFA Rank: 2
- Record: 3W-0D-0L
- Odds To Win The Tournament: +360 (Best)
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