England vs Croatia - World Cup LIVE: Live score, team news and updates as Thomas Tuchel's starting XI is 'leaked' - and fans and WAGs hit Dallas

By LUKE POWER, SPORTS REPORTER and HARRY BAMFORTH, LIVE SPORTS COVERAGE REPORTER and GETHIN HICKS, REPORTER England are finally ready to join the World Cup party - and get underway with their opening game against Croatia in Group L tonight. The question on every supporters' mind heading into this summer's Stateside World Cup was: just how will England cope with the heat? Well the temperature in Arlington, Texas, for the Three Lions' opener this evening is set to soar just beyond 30C. So make sure you wear you sun cream, England fans! Luckily for the players, the roof at the city's AT&T Stadium is set to close as we move closer to kick-off. That's a perk of opening your campaign at the world's largest air conditioned venue. Anticipation is well and truly building in Arlington - and it appears as though beers are flowing too. Thousands of England shirts and St George's flags have been spotted all over the city, and there's one pub in particular where most supporters are flocking. The Londoner opened ahead of the World Cup and serves classic British meals like fish and chips. Oh, and beers from back home too. I know where I'd be heading if I was out there... We know almost everything about Thomas Tuchel's 26-man squad heading into this evening's 9pm kick-off, but what about their Croatian opponents? No, Croatia may not boast the same quality as they did in 2018, when they sent the Three Lions home on penalties in the World Cup semi-final - but the European side are not to be underestimated. Mateo Kovacic, Joskvo Gvardiol and a 40-year-old Luka Modric are all set to feature at the AT&T Stadium. And, if you need a hand pronouncing any of their names, here's the perfect video. The England stars' WAGs have flocked to Dallas ahead of the beginning of the Three Lions' World Cup campaign. Ollie Watkins' influencer girlfriend Ellie Anderson, Bukayo Saka's fiancée Tolami Benson and Jordan Pickford's partner Megan have all arrived in Texas over the last few days. Megan shared a sweet snap to her Instagram story earlier today of her donning the couple's seven-year-old son's England top! Jordan Pickford's wife squeezes into her son's England shirt Jordan Pickford's wife Megan has resorted to borrowing her son's England shirt, after losing her suitcase during her journey to the Three Lions' first World Cup match. Strong words here from England boss Thomas Tuchel. There's a lot of pressure weighing on the German's shoulders heading into tonight, when England will face their toughest opponents in the group stage. Start with a defeat, and that pressure will only mount. That's right, Luke has left you with me for the next hour or so. Strap in, because we're just a few hours away from the the start of England's World Cup campaign. Bellingham or Rogers? Gordon or Rashford? Konsa or Stones? We'll have answers to all of those questions shortly, and I just can't wait. Luke Power OFF, Gethin Hicks ON It's a rogue shout from the manager... I'm off for the rest of the day but I'm sure Gethin will take care of you. Enjoy the match, and more importantly, enjoy our blog! Keeping Harry Kane fit and firing is pivotal to our World Cup hopes. He's a rare example of a striker who scores loads and also contributes a lot off the ball. Usually the latter is an excuse for shortcomings in the former camp. Not with Kane. He does it all. Kane has often looked jaded in tournaments, though. Now 32, how is he going to stay fresh for a potential eight-match competition... after a long season? Harry Kane's burnout-proof mission to fire England to World Cup glory The worry for England is that Kane, in the steam room of North America, plays like the leaden-legged shadow of Euro 2024, when his body looked half a second behind his brain. England's stars really went to town on the poses in their photoshoots for the World Cup. What is this, the football or the front cover of Esquire? Some nice comments from Croatia's manager Zlatko Dalic about Harry Kane, who scored a mere 61 goals last season. A successful World Cup with England could put him in the driving seat for the Ballon d'Or. 'They have the best striker in the world, they have Kane and Kane can do a hell of a lot,' said Dalic. 'We will do a lot, we will do our best not only to defend ourselves but to attack, to go forward. 'There will be set pieces, which will be quite difficult but we are prepared for that. I expect a great game and it will be a great preparation for the next two games in the group.' What is the secret to winning the World Cup, you ask? Michael Owen answers: taking off Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford at half-time. It's a bold strategy, but here's why our exclusive World Cup columnist believes it will work. The more I read it, the more his view wins me round... MICHAEL OWEN: My radical plan to win England the World Cup Why not quicken things up and play to our strengths? There is so much debate as to who should play on the left, who should play in the middle, who should play on the right. He is one of the nation's favourite sons - but how much of a role will he get to play in this World Cup? Bukayo Saka is nursing an injury, having picked up an Achilles issue in March. He was restricted to five starts for Arsenal after that and only came off the bench against Costa Rica. It's a conundrum for Tuchel. Saka is likely the first choice on the right flank, but if you play him, you risk aggravating his injury. Leave him out, and you miss out on his qualities. We believe Noni Madueke, who performed well in the warm-up win against Costa Rica, will start tonight, but it's touch-and-go. England have to beat teams like Croatia convincing... The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. 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