The 2026 World Cup will have 48 national teams competing for global bragging rights and some hardware. Among the teams in the tournament, England could take care of business in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana, and Panama.
Before and during the 2026 World Cup group stage, you can make real-money predictions on countries to win their group or advance to the knockout stage on PrizePicks.
To set the stage for the World Cup group stage, we’ll break down all four teams in Group L for the World Cup and highlight which teams may have the best shot to win the group and advance.
Make your 2026 World Cup Group Stage predictions on PrizePicks.
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2026 World Cup Group L Teams, Favorites to Win
Here are the Group L teams looking to advance to the knockout stage:
- England
- Croatia
- Ghana
- Panama
England is the overwhelming favorite to win Group L, but Croatia has the experience to push them. Ghana and Panama are considered the long shots to win and advance.
The top two teams from every group and the top eight third-place teams across all groups will advance in the World Cup knockout stage.
The payouts below indicate real-money earnings if a prediction is correct on PrizePicks; for example, 2x on a $100 entry would pay out $200 on PrizePicks Team Picks.
The lower the payout multiplier, the higher the chance of the outcome occurring, according to user picks. Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
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2026 World Cup Group L Winner Payouts, Favorites
Here are the payouts for each team to win Group L, per PrizePicks Team Picks. England is the overwhelming favorite, Croatia is expected to be the second-best squad, and Ghana and Panama would be moderately surprising qualifiers.
- England: Yes 1.38x | No 2.85x
- Croatia: Yes 4x | No 1.21x
- Ghana: Yes 10x | No 1.03x
- Panama: Yes 16.66x | No 1.01x
2026 World Cup Group L to Qualify Payouts
Here are the payouts for each team to advance to the knockout stage in Group L. Once again, England is the clear favorite to qualify, followed by Croatia, Ghana, and Panama.
- England: Yes 1.01x | No 16.66x
- Croatia: Yes 1.17x | No 4.54x
- Ghana: Yes 1.85x | No 1.88x
- Panama: Yes 2.77x | No 1.4x
2026 World Cup Group L Winner Prediction
England to win Group L: Yes 1.38x | No 2.85x
England to Win 2026 World Cup: Yes 7.69x | No 1.07x
England is fielding one of their best World Cup rosters, and there’s a ton of pressure for them to be one of the final teams remaining.
In the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, England made it to the quarterfinals before being eliminated by France. They’re seeking their first World Cup victory since 1966.
Led by F Harry Kane, England has an assortment of attacking options, and their midfield duo of MF Jude Bellingham and MF Declan Rice provides confidence in possession.
During World Cup qualification, England dominated under manager Thomas Tuchel, outscoring opponents 22-0 en route to an 8-0-0 record.
Goals could be aplenty for Kane, who has the second-lowest payout to win the Golden Boot (6.25x) and the fourth-lowest payout to win the Golden Ball (10x), via PrizePicks Team Picks.
With Tuchel making his World Cup debut as the manager of the Three Lions, England might have an easy passage to the knockout stage.
Make World Cup picks on England to win Group L on PrizePicks.
Croatia – World Cup Group L Prediction, Preview
To win Group L: Yes 4x | No 1.21x
To qualify for Knockout Stage: Yes 1.17x | No 4.54x
Given the results that Croatia has secured in recent World Cups, it’ll be tough for them to go overlooked entering the 2026 World Cup. After finishing as runners-up in 2018, they finished third in 2022.
Croatia is a battle-tested and experienced unit, with 40-year-old MF Luka Modric still dissecting defenses and creating scoring opportunities in the midfield. In addition to Modric, MF Mateo Kovacic and F Ivan Perisic are other grizzled veterans who continue to produce.
Manager Zlatko Dalic’s side has certainly enjoyed playing in his system, with England being the team’s biggest roadblock to winning Group L. Croatia is hoping a 7-1-0 record in qualifiers leads to another deep run in the World Cup.
Ghana – World Cup Group L Prediction, Preview
To win Group L: Yes 10x | No 1.03x
To qualify for Knockout Stage: Yes 1.85x | No 1.88x
There’s a decent gap between England/Croatia and the other teams in Group L, including Ghana. Ghana has failed to make it out of the group stage in back-to-back appearances (2014, 2022), so expectations aren’t high.
To qualify for this year’s tournament, Ghana cruised through Group I in the CAF (Confederation of African Football) with an 8-1-1 record. Despite Ghana’s success in the qualifiers, facing England and Croatia is a major step up in competition.
Even with F Antoine Semenyo and F Inaki Williams being notable contributors on Ghana’s roster, it could be tough for them to earn a spot in the knockout stage.
Panama – World Cup Group L Prediction, Preview
To win Group L: Yes 16.66x | No 1.01x
To qualify for Knockout Stage: Yes 2.77x | No 1.4x
This will only be Panama’s second World Cup appearance, and they’re still seeking their first World Cup win in their nation’s history. Fans tend to root for long shots to advance, but this grouping with England and Croatia is a tough draw.
On a positive note, Panama went unbeaten in Group A of CONCACAF qualifying to earn their spot. Although Panama has shown flashes of improvement since their last World Cup appearance in 2018, there's a steep hill to climb here.
Panama’s best chance of earning a win and a surprising qualification for the knockout stage might be having Ghana slip up and finish as one of the top eight third-place nations.
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Make World Cup Group L Predictions on PrizePicks
England and Croatia appear to have a stranglehold on the top spots in Group L of the 2026 World Cup. Will Ghana and Panama defy the odds and sneak into the knockout stage?
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Stick around with the Playbook for continued World Cup predictions, picks, and analysis through the end of the tournament.
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