Ferdinand tips African country to make it difficult for England at 2026 World Cup

England were placed in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana, and Panama, a combination that, in Ferdinand's view, presented an initially disappointing and tough challenge.

Speaking to GOAL right after the pairings were announced, the former centre-back expressed a wish for an easier opening to the tournament, lamenting,

"I was not happy with England’s group, you know. You want a group where you go, ‘Listen, we can just sneak through there. Not too many hard games’."

Ferdinand singled out two of the opponents as being particularly tricky, noting the quality and experience they possess.

He stated, "We've got Croatia, Modric-inspired Croatia, Ghana, and Panama." He acknowledged the relative ease of one match, adding, "Now, Panama, I think, will be a team that we should win against, but Ghana, Croatia, I think, they are going to make it difficult."

The draw immediately sets up a high-stakes rematch with Croatia, a team that famously defeated England in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and remains a powerful European force driven by veteran Luka Modrić.

Despite his initial reservations about the complexity of the group, Ferdinand ultimately maintained confidence in Thomas Tuchel’s squad, concluding that he still expects England to successfully navigate the group stage, but wished for a "little bit easier, an easier runway" to begin the competition.