The England national football team went to the most recent World Cup as one of the three favorites. As is customary, displaying not especially bright or convincing football, Tuchel's side were eliminated only in the semifinal by more persistent Argentines. Having beaten the French side in the third-place match, the English stayed among the medals of a second consecutive major tournament. By way of reminder, in 2024 the Three Lions, under Gareth Southgate, lost in the European Championship final to a young and ambitious Spain. Undoubtedly, the lack of trophies somewhat depresses the English football public, so Harry Kane and his teammates are unlikely to turn down the Nations League. Moreover, the English drew a fairly manageable group. A rather mediocre Czech team and Croatia, going through a generation change, are quite manageable for Tuchel's charges. Furthermore, having Spain in the group guarantees that the continental and world champion will not pose a barrier to England in the quarterfinals. Indeed, against the Red Fury (Spain), the English showed extraordinary resolve already in the first round of the Nations League. Conceding a goal first, the Three Lions managed not only to equalize but also to take the lead. The 2-3 defeat was the result of some lapse by Nico O'Riley and Mark Gehi, who each scored an own goal, and also Harry Kane, who failed to convert a penalty when the score was 2-1 in England's favor. Certainly, in Prague Tuchel's team faces a difficult game, but this time the opponent will not be the world's strongest team, rather an obvious group outsider. The Czech Republic managed to reach the World Cup through two playoff penalty shootouts in the qualification playoffs. Directly in North America the team failed to make an impression, collecting only one point in the group, which did not allow them to reach the Round of 16. The Czech Republic's last win in an official match came in 2025, when at home they hosted diminutive Gibraltar. A home defeat in the first round of the Nations League to Croatia shows that the Czech side's level remains mediocre. The visitors will win comfortably.