Missing out on World Cup glory has been a theme for England fans since 1966, with Baddiel and Skinner's hopeful 'Three Lions (It's Coming Home)' song serving as the soundtrack to many tournaments since the 1990s.
However, in recent years, England have come closer than ever to winning a major tournament, with a generation of world-class talent led by Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham determined to make history.
So, who exactly could England get at the 2026 World Cup tournament as they strive to end six decades of pain? GOAL breaks down the potential group stage opposition.
Who can England get at World Cup 2026?
England are in Pot One - among the top seeds - for the World Cup 2026 group stage draw and therefore they will not be drawn against any other Pot One teams. That means it is impossible for the Three Lions to be in a group with the likes of Spain, Argentina, France and Germany.
The teams England face in the group stage of the tournament will be drawn from Pots Two, Three and Four. While the general principle is that no two teams from the same federation can be drawn together, this does not apply to European (UEFA) teams. Each group must have at least one, but no more than two European representatives, so it is possible that England could face a fellow UEFA team.
You can see the pots containing England's possible opponents at the World Cup below.
| Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
|---|---|---|
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | 🇳🇴 Norway | 🇯🇴 Jordan |
| 🇲🇦 Morocco | 🇵🇦 Panama | 🇨🇻 Cape Verde |
| 🇨🇴 Colombia | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 🇬🇭 Ghana |
| 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 🇨🇼 Curacao |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 🏴 Scotland | 🇭🇹 Haiti |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| 🇸🇳 Senegal | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | Wales / Bosnia-H / Italy / N. Ireland |
| 🇮🇷 Iran | 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast | Ukraine / Sweden / Poland / Albania |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | Slovakia / Kosovo / Turkey / Romania |
| 🇪🇨 Ecuador | 🇶🇦 Qatar | Czechia / R. Ireland / Denmark / N. Macedonia |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | New Caledonia / Jamaica / DR Congo |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 🇿🇦 South Africa | Bolivia / Suriname / Iraq |
SEE MORE: Confirmed World Cup 2026 seeding pots
England could face one of the following teams from Pot Two: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria or Australia.
The teams England could face from Pot Three are: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia or South Africa.
From Pot Four (lowest seeds), England's potential opponents are: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand, one of the four UEFA play-off winners or one of the two inter-continental play-off winners.
Bearing in mind the draw constraints, a potential group for England could consist of Morocco (Pot Two), Scotland (Pot Three) and New Zealand (Pot Four). However, if England draw Croatia or Switzerland from Pot Two, they cannot then be drawn against Scotland from Pot Three, owing to UEFA's constrictions of no more than two UEFA teams in a single group.
As a further example, another potential group for England could include Colombia (Pot Two), Norway (Pot Three) and Ghana (Pot Four), or, for instance, Australia (Pot Two), Panama (Pot Three) and Cape Verde (Pot Four).
FAVOURITES & CONTENDERS: World Cup 2026 Power Rankings
Can England get Scotland?
It is possible for England to draw Scotland in the World Cup group stage, but it will depend on which team is drawn from Pot Two.
Scotland are in Pot Three, but there are three European (UEFA) teams in Pot Two out of 12. FIFA has stipulated that each group must have at least one but no more than two UEFA teams in any single group. So, if England draw Croatia, Switzerland or Austria from Pot Two (a one in four chance), they cannot get Scotland. However, if England draw a non-UEFA team from Pot Two, then it will still be possible to get Scotland.
What is the worst draw for England?
There are a few different draws that might be considered very difficult for England. A group containing Colombia, Egypt and one of the European play-off winners (teams such as Italy, Turkey and Denmark are in the mix) would represent a serious challenge, as would a group containing Uruguay, Norway and Ghana. A group containing Senegal, who gave England a tough time recently, Paraguay and one of the European play-off winners would also be testing.
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What is the best draw for England?
A lot will depend on what happens on the day and if teams have their strongest players, but a draw that might be considered favourable for England based on rankings and reputation would be something like Iran (Pot Two), Panama (Pot Three) and New Zealand (Pot Four) - avoiding another European team entirely. Alternatively, something like Australia (Pot Two), South Africa (Pot Three) and Haiti (Pot Four) might also be favourable, but intriguing.
✍️ What are your ideal and worst groups for England? Let us know in the comments. 👇