Data reveals why England’s win over Croatia will be among their most impressive during the 2026 World Cup regardless of how far they progress

England have already gone against the grain of history by beating Croatia 4-2 in their opening game at the 2026 World Cup.

The Three Lions’ victory was shown by ITV on Wednesday evening – who hold a dreadful record when broadcasting England matches at major tournaments, as revealed by research from BetBrothers.

Prior to the match, England had won just 10 games (up to and including extra time) of the 34 that had been shown on ITV at either World Cups or European Championships.

But following their victory on Wednesday night, their ITV win percentage ticked over to 31.4%.

When shown on the BBC at major tournaments, meanwhile, they have won more than two thirds of matches with a win percentage sitting ast 67.7%.

The good news, for the superstitious among us, is that England’s second group game against Ghana will be shown on the BBC.

Should the Three Lions make it to the World Cup final, they will be broadcast solely on ITV on two more occasions – in their final group game against Panama and during any potential quarter-final.

For the remaining four matches that would constitute a run to the World Cup final, England will be broadcast by the BBC. Should they reach the final, meanwhile, the broadcast coverage would be shared.