Group L presents a structure of a top seed followed by three chasers. England leads the group at 4th in the FIFA rankings, with Croatia close behind in 9th; Panama (29th) and Ghana (75th) are the underdogs on paper.
England has recorded 3 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss in their last five matches, remaining generally stable, though a 0-1 defeat to Japan exposed some volatility in high-stakes games. Croatia has secured 4 wins and 1 loss in their last five, with an upward trend in the FIFA rankings, making them the team most likely to be a dark horse.
Ghana has managed only 1 win and 4 losses in their last five matches, showing the most concerning form; Panama has 2 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss in their last five, and while they are ranked higher than Ghana, they appear to be the side that first needs to maintain their competitiveness.
The opening round match between England and Croatia will set the tone, while the June 23rd fixtures—England vs. Ghana and Panama vs. Croatia—will further clarify the hierarchy. The key to the outcome of Group L remains whether England can maintain consistent output and whether Croatia can sustain their upward momentum.