The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup is underway and, in even better news, England are off to a winning start.
The Three Lions were impressive as they beat Croatia 4-2. A brace of goals from captain Harry Kane, plus efforts from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford, put England top of Group L after the first set of matches.
England may only have played one game, but the performance was enough to put them back among the World Cup favourites. There are plenty of World Cup evenings ahead to keep the good times coming, and a range of top UK punters can use to back the action, like bet365.
Those who didn’t watch the game can easily be forgiven. For years, England’s performances at major tournaments were synonymous with misery. After learning how to handle the pressure under old manager Gareth Southgage, though, the current generation are flourishing under Thomas Tuchel.
This is how England put themselves back into contention at the World Cup, with Harry Kane making his case for some of the tournament’s highest individual awards.
Croatia win offers a dream start
The final score against Croatia may have been 4-2 to England, but that doesn’t tell the full story of the game. The Three Lions were dominant, and if not for the heroics of goalkeeper Dominik Livaković, could well have scored more.
Equally, England were unlucky to concede two world-class goals. The first saw Martin Baturina masterfully drill the ball in from outside the box, while Petar Musa slotted home the second after a delightful headed assist from Ivan Perišić.
The game was a huge relief to England fans. The team had a torrid time in March, losing one friendly to Uruguay before being beaten by Japan. World Cup warm up games against New Zealand and Costa Rica produced equally lacklustre displays, causing real concerns among supporters.
Thankfully, England seamlessly shifted into a new gear once the tournament began. After not looking the part all year, the Three Lions finally played like the World Cup favourites they were projected to be.
England and Kane both among bookies’ favourites
England were the second favourites to win the World Cup before they struggled in March’s international friendlies. Those performances saw them drop to third, behind longstanding favourites Spain and the rapidly rising France. However, with all countries having played their opening games, England have risen up the favourites list again.
The Three Lions are currently joint second favourites with Spain, and both teams are priced at around 6/1 to win the World Cup. France retain their place as favourites, leading the way with odds of around 7/2, with Argentina closing in on the lead pack. Following another Lionel Messi masterclass, the reigning champions are around 8/1 to defend their crown.
Harry Kane is also among the frontrunners for some of the tournament’s individual accolades.
The Golden Ball is presented to the player whom FIFA’s technical committee judge to have been the best at the tournament. Kane is currently fourth in the standings, priced around 8/1, to win this trophy. The other main contenders are some of football’s true superstars, such as France’s Kylian Mbappe Michael Olise, Spain’s Lamine Yamal, and of course Messi.
The two goals he scored against Croatia also put Kane in the hunt for the Golden Boot. This is awarded to the tournament’s highest goalscorer, and is something that the England captain has won before.
He led the scoring at the 2018 tournament with six goals, and is in prime position to win again. He’s joint favourite with Mbappé and Messi, with all three priced at around 3/1. Also challenging is Norway’s Erling Haaland. He was devastating as Norway beat Iraq 4-1, and it might be tempting to back the Manchester City man to win the Golden Boot.
As good as his 10/1 price is, however, a prerequisite for finishing as the World Cup’s top goalscorer is usually a run deep into the tournament’s latter stages. With Norway not expected to make a deep run in the knockout stage, he will likely see his ultimate tally beaten.
Please note that all odds are correct at time of writing, and subject to change.
