2026 World Cup: England's full route to final revealed after group draw announcement

The draw for the 2026 World Cup officially took place on Friday, and England have been drawn into Group L, with the Three Lions the last team to be called from Pot One.

Croatia were the second team placed in Group L, Panama were third, while the section was completed when Ghana were selected from Pot Four.

England will open their World Cup against Croatia on June 17, before facing Ghana in their second match on June 23; the Three Lions will then conclude their Group L campaign against Panama on June 27.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at England's potential route to the final, with Thomas Tuchel's side seen as one of the favourites to triumph next year.

England's route to the final: Round of 32

England will be the favourites to top Group L, and if that is indeed the case, the Three Lions would take on a third-placed team from Group C, Group E, Group F, Group H or Group I, with that fixture taking place in Atlanta on July 1.

A second-placed finish in Group L would see the Three Lions take on the runner-up from Group K, which could potentially be Portugal or Colombia - two very dangerous sides.

England's route to the final: Round of 16

Should England win Group L and then triumph in the round of 32, they could potentially meet the winner of Group A in the round of 16, which would be Mexico, South Africa or the UEFA Path D winner, with that game taking place in Mexico City on July 5.

However, second place in Group L and then a win in the round of 32 would see them face the winner of Group H (potentially Spain) or the runner-up in Group J - either Argentina, Algeria, Austria or Jordan.

England's route to the final: Quarter-finals

Using path one - winning Group L - England could face the winner of Group C in the quarter-finals, which could potentially be Brazil, with that game taking place in Miami on July 11.

Meanwhile, using the second route - England could potentially meet France in the quarter-finals, so that is a scenario that the Three Lions will want to avoid.

England's route to the final: Semi-finals

Through path one - England may meet Argentina or Portugal in the semi-finals, and either would be a monumental battle for the Three Lions.

France could potentially be waiting for England in the final, and that would be a truly blockbuster affair, but that seems a long way off now, with Tuchel's side needing to be at their very best to stand a chance of securing World Cup glory this summer.