World Cup 2026 storylines: England seek 2018 revenge over Croatia, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in Group of Death, and could Messi & Ronaldo meet?

The road to the 2026 World Cup final begins now!

Elsewhere, it could be argued that star players Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have found themselves drawn into the dreaded ‘Group of Death’.

What else can fans look forward to next summer? Will this be the last time sporting icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi take part in the tournament?

TNT Sports presents you with the biggest storylines ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

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2018 flashback as England seek revenge

The Three Lions have seen this movie before, but hopefully, the ending will be different this time around.

Similar to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, England will face Croatia and Panama as they seek to end 60 years of pain by winning the tournament for only the second time in the nation’s history.

There was genuine excitement about the Three Lions at that tournament and hope was growing that football was destined to come home when they reached the semi-finals.

However, England suffered extra-time heartbreak as Luka Modric and his Croatian team-mates came away victorious to reach the final. The Three Lions would also leave that World Cup empty-handed after falling to Belgium in the third place play-off.

They will be hopeful of seeking revenge next summer, but nobody should underestimate Croatia given their recent record of going far in major tournaments.

Thomas Tuchel’s side will begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia on Wednesday, June 17 and a win could represent a good omen for England.

The last time England faced Croatia in a tournament opener came at the delayed Euro 2020 as Raheem Sterling scored the only goal in a 1-0 win. England went on to reach the final that year, so another victory over the Croatians could stand next summer’s squad in good stead.

Haaland v Mbappe in Group of Death?

Two of the biggest names in the sport have been drawn in the same group at World Cup 2026 as Haaland and Mbappe will face off in Group I.

Two-time champions France will meet Norway, Senegal and either Bolivia, Suriname or Iraq.

Norway have qualified for the World Cup for the first time since France hosted and won the tournament in 1998 and could be one of the dark horses with the likes of Haaland and Martin Odegaard in their ranks.

Mbappe leads the way in their head-to-head clashes in club football as the Frenchman has won two out of their three previous encounters in the UEFA Champions League, scoring four goals in the process.

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But can Group I be classified as next year’s dreaded ‘Group of Death’?

On paper, it appears to be the hardest group of all, even though we still await the fourth nation.

The Lions of Teranga also have fond memories of facing France at the World Cup after claiming a shock win over Les Bleus in their opening game of the 2002 edition.

Expect drama, goals galore and plenty of subplots in this group next summer.

Will Messi finally meet Ronaldo in swansong?

At the first time of asking, we are set to watch the best players go head-to-head at the World Cup when Haaland and Mbappe meet in the group stage.

But could the football world finally get the chance to witness the two GOATS face off at a World Cup?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have played against each other 37 times for club and country, including international friendlies, club friendlies, La Liga clashes and Champions League ties.

In those games, both players have scored 23 goals each, while Messi enjoys the most wins with 17 compared to Ronaldo’s 11.

However, they have never faced off at the World Cup.

Ronaldo has admitted that the 2026 edition will be his final tournament, while Messi has hinted he will return to defend his crown with Argentina.

The footballing world will get their wish next summer if both Portugal and Argentina top their respected groups and advance past the Round of 32 stage.

Imagine the scenes….

Scotland seek 1998 redemption

Scotland fans, it has been well worth the wait, hasn’t it?

The Tartan Army will go to the World Cup finals for the first time since 1998, and they will meet familiar company next summer.

Steve Clarke’s men will face five-time world champions Brazil in Group C, as well as Morocco, who enjoyed a fairytale run in the 2022 edition by becoming the first African country to reach the semi-finals.

Scotland started their 1998 tournament with a defeat against Brazilians before suffering the same fate against the Moroccans in their final group game.

They will kick off their campaign in the United States next summer when they face Haiti on Saturday, June 13.

The likes of Colin Hendry and Paul Lambert were unable to claim a victory last time around for Scotland but a new generation of talent, including Scott McTominay, Andy Robertson and John McGinn will set their sights on the knockout stages next year.

Salah’s final chance to shine?

It could be an unforgettable 2026 for Mohamed Salah on the international scene.

Liverpool’s ‘Egyptian King’ enjoyed a 2024/25 campaign to remember as he almost single-handedly steered the Reds to Premier League glory.

Although he has struggled during the early stages with his club this season, Salah could have the last laugh with Egypt next year.

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Salah will be 34 when the World Cup gets underway as Egypt meet Belgium, Iran and New Zealand in Group G.

The Liverpool legend endured a difficult time at the 2018 edition after failing to regain full fitness after sustaining a shoulder injury in the Champions League final just months beforehand.

Salah will be hopeful that he can enter the World Cup with a full bill of health, and he could head into the tournament as the African champion as Egypt take part in AFCON at the end of December.

Germany to face World Cup debutants

One of the World Cup giants will face off against the tournament’s smallest nation to ever qualify for the finals.

World Cup debutants Curacao could not have wished for a more exciting draw after they were pitched to face Germany, Cote d’Ivoire and Ecuador in Group E.

The tiny Caribbean island will be everyone’s second favourite team heading into the tournament and will be led by the oldest coach at the finals in 78-year-old Dick Advocaat.

Curacao has a population of just over 150,000 but managed to cause a stir and qualify for the World Cup for the first time in the nation’s history.

The Germans will be looking to be crowned world champions for the fifth time, but recent history suggests it won’t be easy.

They were knocked out in the group stage during the 2018 and 2022 editions and failing to progress into the knockout stages this time around would be unthinkable.

Do Curacao have one more upset in them? Never write them off.

Can host nations reach the latter stages?

All three host nations will be desperate to kick off the campaign next summer in front of their home fans.

With the winners of the play-offs still to be confirmed, Mauricio Pochettino’s USA side have been drawn against Paraguay and Australia in Group D.

Elsewhere, Mexico are guaranteed to meet South Africa and South Korea, while Canada will play against Qatar and Switzerland.

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Brazil were the last host nation to reach the semi-final stage in 2014 and, although the last four might realistically be out of reach for the USA, Canada and Mexico, a deep run in the tournament would only add to the atmosphere.

There will be pressure on the USA to reach the latter stages but Mexico will also be looking to bounce back from a disappointing showing at Qatar 2022, where they were dumped out in the group stage.

The recent CONCACAF Nations League could give us a small insight into what to expect from the hosts nations, as Canada and the United States finished in third and fourth place respectively, while Mexico were crowned champions after defeating Panama in the final.

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