FIFA Ranking: 5
Odds: 7-1
Previous tournaments:
England will be taking part in their 16th World Cup since they made their tournament debut in 1950. Their best performance came in 1966 when they won the tournament on home soil after beating West Germany in the final. Since then it has been a regular tale of overly high expectations not being matched by actual performances, although they have come close on a couple of occasions. They reached the semi-finals in Italy in 1990, losing to Germany on penalties, then in 2018 they again reached the last four but went down to Croatia. England failed to qualify in 1974, 1978 and 1994.
How they qualified:
England breezed through a World Cup qualifying group which included makeweights San Marino and Andorra, going unbeaten in 10 matches with eight wins and two draws to seal automatic qualification last year. They wrapped up their qualifying campaign with a 10-0 hammering of lowly San Marino as captain Harry Kane finished top scorer in the group with 12 goals. England’s draws came away to Poland and at home to Hungary.
Form guide:
After securing World Cup qualification, England have suffered a spectacular collapse in form, going six competitive games without a victory. They failed to win a match in their Nations League campaign in a group with Italy, Hungary and Germany. England drew three and lost three — including twice against Hungary — to finish bottom of the group, suffering the humiliation of relegation to League B. A 4-0 defeat by Hungary in June was England’s worst at home in 94 years, piling pressure on manager Gareth Southgate. There were signs of life, however, in their last match before the World Cup as they hit back from 2-0 down against Germany to lead before drawing a thriller 3-3.
Planning to repeat what they did 1966
There have been plenty of ‘nearly men’ in the annals of world soccer, nations with all the ingredients to deliver on the biggest stage but who ended up with just crumbs for comfort.
England under Gareth Southgate are the latest to own that unwanted label as they head to the Qatar World Cup finals still saddled with ending an interminable wait for silverware.
The year 1966, when England won their home World Cup, has haunted a succession of managers from Ron Greenwood and Terry Venables to Glenn Hoddle and Fabio Capello.
None came as close to delivering what the nation craves as Southgate, whose side reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, where they lost to Croatia having led, and then the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley only to suffer penalty heartache against Italy.
They are getting closer and if the incremental pattern of progress continues, Southgate and his players will fly home from the Middle East with the trophy for an open-top bus parade that would bring the capital to a standstill.
Suddenly the air of expectancy around a squad led by Harry Kane and loaded with players who excel in some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs has been replaced by good old hope.
Since that defeat by Italy there is a distinct feeling that England have plateaued, that Southgate has become prone to over-thinking and that the whole adds up to rather less than the sum of the shiny parts.
In actual fact, the months leading into the World Cup have been a masterclass in how to lower expectations.
Since thrashing San Marino 10-0 to conclude a relatively smooth ride through a soft qualification group, England have gone six competitive games without a win for the first time since 1958 and there are question marks all over the pitch.
Until a late flurry of goals in a 3-3 draw with Germany at Wembley in a Nations League dead rubber in their last match before their opener against Iran in Qatar, England had gone almost six games without a goal from open play.
For all the midfield flair at Southgate’s disposal, the likes of Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Bukayo Saka, they are heavily reliant on Kane to score the goals.
He has 51 from 75 caps with Raheem Sterling (19), and Marcus Rashford (12) if selected, the only other members of Southgate’s squad in double figures.
In defence, especially in the centre, England have looked anything but solid with eight goals conceded in their last three games and Harry Maguire, a player to whom Southgate has remained unshakably loyal, having a torrid time. And in midfield, Southgate’s preference for caution has tended to stifle the attacking threat his team should possess.
Team announced :
Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale, John Stones, Trnet Alexander- Arnold, Eric Dier, Conor Coady, Ben White, Luke Shaw, Kyle Walker, Harry Maguire, Kieran Tippier, Kalvin Philips, Declare Rice, Conor Gallagher, Jude Bellingham, Jordan Henderson, Mason Mount, Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Callum Wilson, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Bukayo Saka, James Maddison and Raheem Sterling
