Declan Rice’s – Ahead of England’s first official match of the 2026 World Cup, Declan Rice says he follows a pre-game superstition—always wearing a specific black pair of trainers with his tracksuit. He also eats the same four pancakes before playing, and England’s preparatio
On a Wednesday night in Texas, the England squad will be walking into a World Cup opener with history in the back of their minds and rituals under their skin.
England are set to face Croatia in the 2026 World Cup this evening (Wednesday. June 17) at 9pm UK time—first official game for the Three Lions. The nerves won’t be theoretical. England lost against the Vatreni in the 2018 semi-final. a result that still haunts fans who believed they could reach the first final since 1966.
Now the stakes feel sharper. Around 10,000 England supporters are expected to watch the game in Dallas, Texas, tonight. And for Declan Rice, a midfielder who has turned routine into something close to a lifeline, the answer starts before kick-off.
Rice, 27, has shared that he carries a superstition into every match. He previously revealed he has to wear a specific pair of trainers with his tracksuit before he plays because he thinks it’s good luck. In a short clip from Watch Insight TV, Rice says: “Footballers are a very superstitious bunch.”
In that same video, he admitted the shoes have “history” for him and that he “always wears” the black pair. “In my mind, if I don’t wear them, I don’t think we’re gonna win,” he said, adding he was “proper superstitious” and that’s why he “always wears them” with his tracksuit.
The superstition doesn’t end with footwear. Rice also eats the same meal before playing: four pancakes covered in syrup or honey. The idea, he said, came from the nutritionist for his Premier League club, Arsenal. Rice described the meal as “just normal pancakes. ” and he said he was shocked when he saw other players doing the same.
“I honestly… it’s been a game-changer,” he said. “I don’t understand the science behind it, what’s in them or anything like that, but it gives me such a high energy boost.”
That energy boost may matter as England work to avoid any early slip. The team have been in the United States for over two weeks, acclimatising and preparing for the World Cup. But there was a blow on Tuesday when Tino Livramento was ruled out of the tournament with a calf injury. and Trevoh Chalobah was called up as his replacement.
With selection pressure rising, there are four places in the starting XI still up for grabs. Thomas Tuchel has been keeping his players on their toes, deciding to keep them guessing right up until the hours before kick-off.
The sequence of the week has already been shaped by timing and nerves: a high-profile opponent in Croatia, a first official outing, a late squad adjustment for injuries, and then the kind of private belief Rice describes so bluntly.
By 9pm UK time, England will have to turn all of it into performance. And in Rice’s mind, at least one part of that answer is sitting ready—black trainers, tracksuit on, and a belief that if he doesn’t wear them, he doesn’t think they’re going to win.
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