England’s 2026 World Cup opener is destined for a red card – here’s why

England begin their 2026 World Cup campaign tonight!

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Just under four years on from the Three Lions' heartbreaking defeat to France in the Qatar quarter-finals, England finally return to the biggest stage tonight, as they face Croatia in Dallas, in a re-match of the 2018 World Cup semi-final.

While much of the pre-match discussion has centred on Thomas Tuchel's team selection — Morgan Rogers or Jude Bellingham as the No.10, Anthony Gordon or Marcus Rashford on the wing — far less attention has been paid to the game itself and what Croatia are likely to bring.

One area to look out for, is the real possibility of the tournament's next red card occurring later tonight.

Wilton Sampaio's flurry of red cards in the opener between South Africa and Mexico hinted at a stricter disciplinary approach from FIFA, but since then the tournament has gone quiet, with no further sendings-off.

Which can only mean one thing: we're long overdue our next sending off.

To make the event even more likely, FIFA has come under increased pressure over the past few hours, after Argentine superstar Lionel Messi got away with this challenge, that was not even reviewed by VAR.

Considering the gap between now and the most recent red, and with that Messi incident occurring just hours ago, it now seems more than likely that tonight's referee Clement Turpin may reach into his pocket later, and Priced Up rate the chances of that scenario occurring at 6/1, check out the deal here (Best price at time of writing).

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To make matters worse for the Three Lions, Thomas Tuchel doesn't have the friendliest history with tonight's referee Clement Tirpin.

The last time that Tuchel and Clement Turpin faced off in a professional capacity was a clash between Bayern Munich and Manchester City, when the German was managing the Bavarians.

Back in 2023, when managing Bayern Munich, Tuchel was sent off by the French official towards the end of a 1-1 draw, that saw the Bundesliga outfit eliminated from the Champions League, and after full-time, the German called Tiprin a "Grade E" referee.

Considering all of the above, a red card in the Croatia clash seems a real likelihood.

Get fantastic odds on England's World Cup opener against Croatia

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Click here or below to get 8/5, best price at time of writing, on Harry Kane to score anytime against Croatia.

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After a flawless qualifying campaign, England's World Cup will begin with a clean sheet

If England win tonight against Croatia, you can be sure they'll keep their opponents from hitting the back of the net, and there's ample evidence to prove it.

During qualification, Thomas Tuchel made history as an English head coach. becoming the first to lead his side through a World Cup qualification by winning every match, all without conceding a single goal — across eight matches!

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Those stats speak for themselves, as do the presence of Marc Guehi, Reece James, and Jordan Pickford at the back. Three of European football's most reliable defensive stars. Not to mention Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson in front of them.

We reckon that, even for Luka Modric's unquestionable greatness, the likes of Petar Musa, and an ageing Ivan Perisic simply will not break through.

The odds back this perspective up, with Priced Up offering 15/8 for England to win to nil against Croatia, check out their offer here. (Best price at time of writing)

Harry Kane is just two goals shy of becoming England's all-time World Cup top scorer, and he'll fancy his chances of closing the gap tonight.

There's an argument to be made that Bayern Munich's Harry Kane is the best attacking player to ever line-up for the English national team.

The 32-year-old leads the way at the top of the country's all-time scoring charts by more than twenty, and is now just two goals away from overtaking Gary Lineker with strikes at World Cup tournaments.

Considering, even in an absolute worst case scenario, the Three Lions should play at least three times before heading home, Harry Kane is almost certain to catch up with Lineker at this World Cup, and ought to get off to a flying start against Croatia tonight.

With a goal per game ratio of 0.70, only Jimmy Greaves scored his Three Lions goals at a faster rate than Kane, according to stat experts Squawka.

To make matters worse for Croatia, Kane has unfinished business with the Eastern European side.

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The last time England reached a World Cup semi-final was 2018, when they also faced Croatia.

During the first-half of that game, when Gareth Southgate's side led by 1-0 through Kieran Trippier's free kick, Kane has been accused of costing his team a golden opportunity to reach the World Cup final.

When through on goal here, Kane was unable to beat Danijel Subasic, and could easily have squared the ball to Raheem Sterling.

Facing the Croatians again tonight, Kane will be keen to right that historic wrong, and Priced Up give the striker 8/5 to score anytime. Check out the offer here (Best price at time of writing).