England’s path to World Cup glory

England will be looking to end 56 years of hurt when they head to Qatar for the World Cup this winter. Gareth Southgate’s side have come agonisingly close to ending their tournament hoodoo in recent years, reaching the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia and losing out on penalties to Italy at last year’s Euro 2020 final, begging the question as to whether they can go one better this year. England have only ever won one World Cup in the showpiece event’s history but with such a strong pedigree in recent tournaments expectations will be high on them doubling that tally. Just seven games stand in the way of the Three Lions lifting the famous trophy aloft this December and whilst they’re the clear favourites to top the group with confidence of reaching the knockout stages at an all-time high, what potentially awaits them there could be the stumbling block on their way to the national team’s crowning glory. What will England need to do to navigate their way to the final and claim their first World Cup since 1966? Here’s a look at the potential route Southgate’s side might take. 

 The Group Stages 

England is currently third favourites at 6/1 to win the World Cup in Qatar, according to betting apps like these and even before a ball was kicked England would have had ambitions of reaching at least the quarter-finals. After the draw was made back in April, it certainly looks like luck is on their side as they managed to avoid some of Europe’s and South America’s biggest hitters. 

England were drawn in Group B alongside the USA, Iran, and Euro play-off winners Wales. Southgate’s men sit fifth in the FIFA World rankings nine places above the United States, 14 above British compatriots Wales and 18 above Iran. The odds are in their favour on paper but England will need to err on the side of caution as each poses a threat that could see the Three Lions slip up. The English have never faced Iran in a senior competitive match and an unknown entity will be a difficult one for Southgate to navigate, they’ve yet to register a win over the United States at the World Cup and the events of EURO 2016 will serve as a stern reminder of how dangerous Wales can be. If the squad maintain their composure and produces the results expected of them then it should be smooth sailing, but should they falter and slip into second in the group the consequences could be dire for their World Cup hopes come the latter stages. 

The last 16

If England finishes top of the group as they are billed to do then they will be pitted against the runner-up from Group A which is comprised of Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal and the Netherlands. Should things pan out in that group as they are expected, Louis Van Gaal’s Dutch side will likely prevail and qualify as Group winners with Africa Cup of Nations winners Senegal finishing second and subsequently facing England in the last-16. It will still be a tough task to overcome a team that includes Sadio Mane to make it into the last eight, but it will no doubt be the preferential outcome as opposed to facing a rejuvenated Netherlands side that has put recent qualification shortcomings well and truly behind them. 

The Quarters 

The quarter-final stage is where things get slightly more complicated as the outcome of Group B carries significantly more weight. They are guaranteed to play a team from either Group C or D should they reach this stage but whoever that will be is largely dependent on whether they won the group. This means they will face one of Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland, France, Denmark, Tunisia and Australia. Should England top Group B they will play the winners of the round of 16 clash between the winners of Group D and the runners-up of Group C. France will most likely be the winners of Group D and Argentina of Group C meaning hypothetically Les Bleus will play either Mexico, Saudi Arabia or Poland, and will be favourites to progress against all three. That would make France England’s opponents in the quarter-final in an extremely tough tie for Southgate’s men. 

The alternative is that England finishes runners-up in Group B and come through their last-16 tie against Group A’s winners. In this scenario, they would play the winners of the last-16 match between Group C’s winners and Group D’s runners-up making Argentina England’s most likely opponents unless Denmark, who are favourites to finish second in Group D, upset the odds to topple Lionel Messi’s World Cup dreams. There is no easy quarter-final opposition when it comes to this stage of the tournament but even so, it’s a tough task the English have on their hands to make the semi-finals should the predicted outcome come to fruition. 

The Semis

Should England repeat the heroics of 2018 and make it to the last four, a team from Group E, F, G or H will be waiting for them. Any opposition in the semi-final will be difficult but this is perhaps the stage where it is of the utmost importance England walk out of Group B as winners. If they do so they will likely face either Belgium or Portugal. But as runners-up they could come up against one of Spain, Germany or tournament favourites Brazil. It will no doubt be a monumental occasion whoever it is but, whether Southgate would care to admit it or not, England would probably rather chance their arm against Belgium or Portugal than go through the favourites or the potential despair of losing to Germany in another semi-final heartache. 

The final

This is the final hurdle to overcome and the 90 minutes of football that stand between Southgate’s side and World Cup glory. The potential opponents would essentially be the opposite of the semi-final; should England win the group it’ll likely be Spain, Germany or Brazil, if not then it’ll be Belgium or Portugal. Whoever it might be I’m sure it would seem inconsequential as a wave of national pride brings with it a surging belief that England could finally do it. This is the first tournament in recent memory where there is genuine belief of holding the iconic trophy aloft come the final whistle. There is the potential to write a new chapter in English footballing history and this squad is more than capable of ending the long wait for success on football’s grandest stage.