England's World Cup 2026 fixtures, schedule and tournament route to final - how Three Lions could lift trophy on July 19

What is England's potential path to World Cup glory?

The Three Lions have been handed an advantage already by FIFA's introduction of a Wimbledon-style seeding system, which means they cannot meet Spain or Argentina until the semis or France until the final, should all four countries win their respective groups.

• World Cup fixture schedule - your day-by-day guide
• Who is playing who in the last 32?

Who could England play next...

These are the most likely games England will face in the knockout stages based on FIFA rankings and the current state of the group stage...

Round of 32

Wednesday July 1: England vs Third-placed Group E/H/I/J/K, Atlanta - kick-off 5pm

As things stand, it will be Senegal in the first knockout round after qualifying as a third-place finisher, but that will change to DR Congo if they beat Uzbekistan on Sunday morning.

Round of 16

Monday July 6: England vs Mexico, Mexico City - kick-off 1am

Quarter-finals

Saturday July 11: England vs Brazil, Miami - kick-off 10pm

Semi-finals

Wednesday July 15: England vs Argentina, Atlanta - kick-off 8pm

Final

Sunday July 19: England vs Spain, New Jersey - kick-off 8pm

Last-32 line-up and how the tournament might unfold...

(c) Sky Sports 2026: England's World Cup 2026 fixtures, schedule and tournament route to final - how Three Lions could lift trophy on July 19