🇵🇦 Panama vs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England

Panama are in Group L with England, Croatia and Ghana. They're the lowest-ranked team in the group. They famously scored their first ever World Cup goal against England in 2018 before losing 6–1. They celebrated that goal like they'd won the tournament. The reaction was genuinely joyful and is worth looking up.

They're a disciplined, physically demanding team who are very hard to beat when everyone's organised. Thomas Christiansen has built them into a side that makes life difficult even when they're the underdogs — which they usually are.

Panama's qualification through CONCACAF is always hard-fought. They compete against the USA, Mexico and Costa Rica in a region where nothing is given. Every point they've earned has been properly contested.

Rolando Blackburn is their most dangerous forward — plays in Mexico's Liga MX and has the pace and directness to cause problems for higher-ranked defences when things go right for Panama.

Panama football has grown enormously since their first World Cup appearance in 2018. The league has professionalised, academies have been set up, and the national team now has expectations rather than just hope. Small but real progress.

England have a German manager for the first time ever — Thomas Tuchel — which is either a bold move or the punchline to a very long joke depending on your age. He did win the Champions League with Chelsea, which is more than any England manager has done, so perhaps don't mention the nationality.

Harry Kane is England's all-time top scorer and has never won a single trophy in his career. Not one. Cup finals, tournament semis — always the bridesmaid. He's 31 now. This is probably his best shot. Try to look like you knew that already.

Nine players in this squad have never been to a World Cup before. Tuchel clearly isn't interested in sentimentality, which fans either find exciting or terrifying depending on what the first match looks like.

England open against Croatia on June 17 — the exact team they beat to reach the 2018 final, who then beat them in the Euros semi-final. It's become England's recurring nightmare fixture. Mention this and watch a proper fan wince slightly.

The media will spend the whole tournament asking if England are going to 'bring it home.' Nobody agrees what home means in this context. It's been 60 years. If it comes up, nod slowly and look thoughtful rather than answering.