It remains to be seen who England will face in the final tournament of the 2026 World Cup.
Thomas Tuchel’s side are currently scheduled to play Ecuador, but that could change quickly (Image: Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)
England’s potential opponents for the first round of the World Cup finals are now clearer after the latest round of matches. The Three Lions currently sit top of Group L with four points from their opening two games and are currently scheduled to face Ecuador in their next match.
However, that is yet to be confirmed and Thomas Tuchel and co will first face Panama on Saturday night in the final group game of the tournament, where England will hope to secure a spot as group winners.
England do not have a game on Thursday night, but the result of the game played that day will influence which team the Three Lions face in the round of 32.
After kick-offs at 12am and 3am in the early hours of Friday morning, England secured a resounding victory over Germany and will now face Ecuador in the next round. However, there is still time for the situation to change in the coming days.
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If the schedule remains as it stands, the Three Lions will face Ecuador in Atlanta on Wednesday, July 1st, with kick-off at 5pm UK time.
England’s opponents will become clearer over the coming days, especially after the game against Panama at the weekend.
There is still a chance that Ghana can overtake England to the top of Group L, and that will have a dramatic impact on who Tuchel’s side face in the next round. Ghana are currently scheduled to play Portugal next Friday with a late-night kick-off.
England striker Harry Kane has already previewed the match against Panama and revealed some of the decisions Tuchel will make ahead of the match.
Harry Kane is England’s top scorer at the World Cup so far (Image: Getty Images)
“I think the manager will be clear about his decision. I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes some changes to keep the team fresh anyway,” Kane said.
“He knows, and like all of us, that there will be extra time, so there is still a long way to go, but we are in a good position.
“Panama, we’re expecting probably a little bit different game, so whoever comes into that game will be ready, energetic from the get-go and probably not going to face as many low blocks.
“There’s definitely going to be a period where we have to break through, but that’s what this team is about. We’re hoping there’s six more games, so there’s going to be a lot of football and whoever steps on the field, the players will be ready.”
Meanwhile, four of the 32 games have been decided following the results on Thursday and Friday morning.
Co-hosts Canada will play South Africa, while Brazil will play Japan in the first knockout tournament. The Netherlands will then play Morocco, while the United States has already been scheduled to play Bosnia and Herzegovina in the next round.
Current round 32 match results (as of 6am on Friday) (Image: Mirror)
Check the results of previous World Cup Round of 32 matches
South Africa vs. Canada – June 28 (8pm UK time)
Brazil vs Japan – June 29th (6pm UK time)
Netherlands v Morocco – 30 June (2am UK time)
USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina – 2nd July (1am UK time)
The round of 32 World Cup games show signs of change…
Germany v Paraguay – 29 June (9.30pm UK time)
Ivory Coast vs Norway – 30 June (6pm UK time)
France v Sweden – 30 June (10pm UK time)
Mexico vs Scotland – 1 July (2am UK time)
England v Ecuador – 1 July (5pm UK time)
Egypt vs South Korea – July 1st (9pm UK time)
Spain v Austria – 2nd July (8pm UK time)
Portugal vs Ghana – 3 July (12am UK time)
Switzerland vs Algeria – 3 July (4am UK time)
Australia v Iran – 3 July (7pm UK time)
Argentina v Uruguay – 3 July (11pm UK time)
Colombia vs Croatia – 4th July (2.30am BST)
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