Group L might be closest thing to a 'group of death' at this year's World Cup

Featuring England, Croatia, Panama and Ghana, Group L represents one of the toughest in the opening round of the World Cup.

A super-sized 48-team tournament has all but eradicated the possibility of a “group of death,” with several top-level teams drawn in the same group.

But with England, back-to-back European Championship runner-up, and Croatia, which reached the World Cup final in 2018 and semifinals in 2022, Group L has two heavyweights.

Add to that a Panama team ranked 33rd by FIFA and Ghana, which has top European-based players like Antoine Semenyo, Inaki Williams and Thomas Partey.

England

It is 60 years since England won the World Cup on home soil in 1966 — its one and only major international trophy.

Since the 1990s, England fans have ironically sung “It's coming home," a song that pokes fun at the nation's expectations and ultimate disappointment over a decades-long wait to lift another trophy.

However, England has enjoyed a sustained period of going deep in major tournaments over the past eight years, reaching the semifinals of the World Cup in 2018 and then successive finals at the European Championship in 2021 and 2024.

That was under former manager Gareth Southgate, who stepped down after losing the Euro 2024 final to Spain and was replaced by German coach Thomas Tuchel.

Tuchel steered England to qualification for the World Cup with a perfect winning record and without conceding a goal. Still, performances have not always been convincing and it is questionable if England's squad has improved or gone backwards since the Euros.

Croatia

Croatia has made a habit of delivering at the World Cup.

It came third at its very first World Cup in 1998 after independence from Yugoslavia.

Twenty years later it reached the final of the 2018 World Cup, which it lost to France. In Qatar four years ago, Croatia was a semifinalist — eliminating Brazil along the way.

National icon Luka Modric remains Croatia's leading player even at the age of 40. The former Real Madrid midfielder won six Champions Leagues during a trophy-laden spell in Spain. He was awarded the Ballon d'Or for the best soccer player in the world after Croatia's run to the World Cup final in 2018.

There are fewer star names for Croatia to call upon from Europe's top teams these days, though MLS players Petar Musa and Marco Pasalic will be known to fans in the United States.

Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic has missed much of the season through injury, but is expected to be fit in time for the World Cup.

Ghana

Man City forward Semenyo is the standout player for Ghana and heads to the World Cup after an impressive season in the Premier League.

His form for Bournemouth sparked interest from England's top clubs before joining City for $87 million in January.

Ghana has qualified for five of the last six World Cups, with its best performance coming in 2010 when it advanced to the quarterfinals.

That loss is considered one the greatest miscarriages of justice in the tournament's history after Uruguay's Luis Suarez used his hand to clear Dominic Adiyah's header off the line in the last minute of extra time. Suarez was sent off and Ghana was awarded a penalty, but Asamoah Gyan failed to convert. Uruguay went on to win a shootout.

Ghana has not advanced from the group stage since and despite qualifying for this World Cup, did not qualify for the most recent African Cup of Nations.

Its preparations for the World Cup have been turbulent with coach Otto Addo fired in March following four-straight losses. Former Real Madrid coach Carlos Queiroz has been appointed to take charge.

Panama

Panama will play in only its second World Cup, having previously qualified in 2018.

It finished top of its qualifying group and has produced impressive runs in recent tournaments — reaching the finals of the 2023 Gold Cup and 2025 CONCACAF Nations League.

Former Leeds United coach Thomas Christiansen has steered Panama to the World Cup, having been in charge since 2020 and overseen its rise.

While England and Croatia will be the favorites to advance, Panama will be a lively contender for third-place and the potential to reach the round of 32.

___

AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup