England kick off their World Cup campaign tonight with a stern test against Croatia as Thomas Tuchel dreams of ending the country’s 60-year wait for glory on the biggest stage.
The Three Lions go into their opener off the back of a bitter injury blow, with defender Tino Livramento ruled out of the entire tournament with a calf problem. Tuchel has called Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah as a surprise replacement, with Trent Alexander-Arnold snubbed.
But as Ballon d’Or-chasing Harry Kane begins his bid for the Golden Boot, 38-year-old Lionel Messi has set the bar for the World Cup after hitting a stunning hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria, equalling Miroslav Klose’s all-time goalscoring record of 16 at the tournament.
Elsewhere, Ghana saw their appeal over the decision to deny Thomas Partey entry into Canada rejected, meaning he will miss the country’s opener against Panama tonight.
Everything you missed overnight: Injured Livramento replaced by Chalobah
Trevoh Chalobah has been called up to replace the injured Tino Livramento in England’s World Cup squad.
Livramento’s calf injury is an early blow for Thomas Tuchel’s preparations for the tournament, coming just one day before the Three Lions’ opener against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday.
Tuchel was able to replace Newcastle full-back Livramento in the squad with a deadline of 9pm BST on Tuesday – 24 hours before England’s first game of the tournament – and Chelsea defender Chalobah was on his way to the United States on Tuesday. Chalobah will not be involved against Croatia, but will be available for subsequent group matches against Ghana and Panama.
Everything you missed overnight: Mbappe double follows first major VAR controversy
While Kylian Mbappe became France’s all-time record goalscorer with his double in New Jersey, taking France to victory against Senegal, a decision not to award him a penalty when the match remained scoreless was questioned by many – including several referees themselves, according to the BBC’s resident official Darren Cann.
Iranian-Australian referee Alireza Faghani initially gave a corner – and then changed his decision to a goal-kick after watching replays. Mbappe had dribbled into the box where Senegal’s Sadio Mane slid in to make a tackle. As Mane reached Mbappe, the France captain touched the ball away from his opponent and then collapsed in a heap under Mane’s challenge.
Referee Faghani was sent to review the decision on his pitchside monitor by his VAR, and as he stepped back on to the pitch, French players and coaching staff began to celebrate. But instead of awarding a penalty, Faghani announced: “The attacker initiated the contact.”
When is England v Croatia?
England face Croatia at 9pm BST on Wednesday 17 June (3pm CT) at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the UK can watch the match free-to-air on ITV 1, ITV X, STV and STV Player with coverage starting at 8pm BST. It can also be live streamed on ITVX.
Good morning!
Hello there and welcome to The Independent’s live blog for all things World Cup – it’s England opener day!
Settle in and start getting your hopes up as we bring you all the latest in the build-up to the Croatia clash in Dallas.
Will Castle17 June 2026 07:46