3 results for "Croatia"
Both teams bounced back from their first group stage losses. Croatia is predicted to win based on Opta simulations, but Panama showed a significant improvement in ball possession.
Declan Rice revealed he has been playing with nerve pain in the upper hamstring since December, and was substituted in the 72nd minute during England's 4-2 victory over Croatia in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup. He described the substitution as a wise decision and emphasized the need for rest before the match against Ghana in Boston.
In the first week of the FIFA 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, ITV won the television viewership battle in the United Kingdom. The channel dominated four out of five top viewing slots, including the England vs Croatia match that recorded 15.4 million peak viewers, the highest number of the year 2026 in the UK. BBC, despite having exclusive broadcasting rights for some key matches in the knockout phase, still lagged behind in total viewership in the opening week. Official data from BARB (Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board) confirmed ITV's dominance in its market-driven broadcasting strategy and tactical scheduling.