Best & Worst World Cup Ties For England in Last 32

Following England’s 0-0 draw with Ghana in their second group game of the 2026 World Cup, their place in the last 32 was all-but sealed. But who will they play?

At this stage, there are an array of nations that the Three Lions could square off against. We’ve put together a list of three teams who we think they’d like to play – and a further three who they’ll want to avoid at all costs.

After England’s lacklustre display against Ghana, in which they were bullied and often outplayed by the Black Stars, Three Lions fans will be waiting nervously to see who they’ll play.

If England beat Panama and win Group L – the likeliest scenario – they will play the highest-ranked third-placed teams from Groups E, H, I, J or K. If they finish second, they will square off against the runners-up of Group K.

In the highly unfancied scenario that England finish third in Group L, they will take on the winners of Group K. Just a word of warning – this is where things start to get complicated!

Best Teams for England to Play

Algeria

Algeria haven’t shown us much in the World Cup so far. After a poor opening game against Argentina, in which Lionel Messi ran riot, they then laboured to a 2-1 win over Jordan. They now face a crunch clash with Austria in a game that they cannot afford to lose.

Many of Algeria’s top players, including Aissa Mandi, Nabil Bentaleb and former Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez, are a little beyond their sell-by date. Rayan Ait-Nouri is approaching his prime at 25, but it is difficult for a left-back to carry a team to glory.

However, we must stress that England almost definitely will not play Algeria. For this to happen, England must drop points against Panama in order to play a lesser team (while still finishing top of their group) and Algeria will have to defeat Austria. Furthermore, Ghana would also have to draw with Croatia.

Austria

Austria are in a similar position to Algeria. Being on three points, they’ll need to lose to finish 3rd in Group K, as their goal difference is superior to that of Algeria’s.

Again, this scenario requires England to drop points against Panama. If Austria do finish third by losing to Algeria, they won’t be one of the highest-ranked third placed teams who the Three Lions could play, as Ecuador already have more points than they do.

With that being said, in the unlikely scenario that England are drawn against Austria in the last 32, we’d predict an easy walkover for the Three Lions. They have one or two good players, including Kevin Danso and David Alaba, but their squad pales in comparison to England’s.

Uzbekistan

Of all the teams that England could possibly play in the last 32, Uzbekistan’s chances are the most remote – furthermore, they’d also probably be their easiest opponents.

Having lost to Colombia and taken a frightful beating at the hands of Portugal, Uzbekistan would need a massive win over DR Congo to finish 3rd – they would also need a glut of goal to sort out their dreadful -7 goal difference.

Let’s be honest – this isn’t going to happen. They have shown fleeting flashes of quality, but their overall disorganisation has rendered them the whipping boys of Group K. Again, also, England would also need to drop points for this game to take place.