England v Croatia weather forecast

England commence their 2026 World Cup campaign by taking on Croatia at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Thomas Tuchel will lead the Three Lions into a major tournament for the first time as he aims to take England where his predecessor Gareth Southgate couldn't.

One of the teams that denied Southgate's team in their quest to achieve World Cup glory was Croatia in 2018, as goals from Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic saw Zlatko Dalic's side come from behind to triumph in Moscow.

Only six players from Croatia's squad in 2018 remain, including Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modric and PSV Eindhoven's Ivan Perisic, but the Vatreni find themselves in a transitional period as the likes of Josko Gvardiol and Josip Stanisic establish themselves as household names in world football.

England have beaten Croatia in a major tournament since their World Cup semi-final defeat as Raheem Sterling's goal saw the Three Lions triumph in their opening game of Euro 2020.

Since then England have advanced to two European Championship finals, failing to win both, while Croatia reached the last four of the World Cup again in 2022, bowing out to eventual champions Argentina.

Both sides will fancy themselves to top Group L, which should make this a fascinating contest.

England v Croatia weather forecast

There's currently a heat alert in Texas with temperatures in Arlington expected to reach 34 degrees celsius.

The match is scheduled to kick-off at 15:00 local time when temperatures will be at their highest, with minimal cloud cover and a moderate breeze.

However, players and fans inside the stadium won't have to worry about the soaring temperatures in the region as the Dallas Stadium is heavily air-conditioned thanks to its retractable roof.

It's the only indoor venue England will play at during the group stage of the tournament.

Check out the latest England odds on bet365.