England’s Round of 32 opponent depends on how they finish their group. If England win Group L , they’ll face one of the best third-placed teams from Groups E, H, I, J, or K; if they finish second , they’ll likely play the Group K runner-up, with Colombia currently the leading possibility and Portugal also in the mix.

Most likely paths

  • 1st in Group L: a third-placed qualifier, with DR Congo and Senegal among the names being mentioned most often.
  • 2nd in Group L: the Group K runner-up, currently projected as Colombia.
  • Less likely: if England qualify as a third-placed team, they would face the Group K winner.

What that means

The cleanest answer is that England do not have one fixed opponent yet; it depends on the final group standings. So the real question is whether they finish top or second in Group L, because that changes both the opponent and the venue.

England finish| Likely Round of 32 opponent| Notes
---|---|---
1st in Group L| One of the best third-placed teams from Groups E/H/I/J/K| A more favorable route on paper 1112
2nd in Group L| Group K runner-up, likely Colombia| Portugal is still possible 1112

TL;DR: England’s Round of 32 opponent isn’t locked yet; if they top Group L, they get a third-placed team, and if they finish second, they’re likely to get Colombia.