After reaching the semi-finals of the last World Cup and losing to Italy on penalties in the Euro 2020 final, England fans can be forgiven for thinking this is their time
Depending on how you choose to look at those near misses, an argument can be made in two directions. One of which is, considering how close they have been in the past two tournaments, success could be attained if the right things fall in place.
The second is that since England have been largely underwhelming since that final loss to Italy, a school of thought exists that this Gareth Southgate cycle is coming to an end. The England boss has been a calming influence on the National team since he took the reins in 2016 but recently, cracks have started to appear.
Road to Qatar
England kicked off their World Cup 2022 qualification campaign with a 5-0 win over San Marino on March 25, 2021. That game marked the start of a three-game run which saw the Three Lions defeat Albania and then Poland in a close game at Wembley
Between September and November 2021, the Three Lions played seven more qualifiers. Southgate saw his team only fail to win on two occasions. An away draw against Poland and a 1-1 draw in a tight game against Hungary at home.
Recent World Cup performances
England went into the 2018 World Cup with high hopes after a near flawless qualifying run. They recorded wins over Tunisia and Panama to finish second behind Belgium in their group.
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The Three Lions defeated Colombia on penalties to book a place in the Quarter finals. they followed that win with an impressive victory over Sweden to set up a semi-final meeting with Croatia.
England suffered a 2–1 defeat to Croatia during extra time in the semi-finals. Following a 2-0 defeat to Belgium in the third place match, England finished the World Cup in fourth place.
World Cup Squad
Take a look at the England World cup squad here
Star Players
Simply put, for England to win, their chances rest on the shoulders of Harry Kane. The captain has enjoyed an injury-free start to the season and has been in fantastic goalscoring form for Tottenham. Kane is two goals behind Wayne Rooney, who scored 53 goals for England. It would be another motivating factor for him to overtake Rooney in Qatar.
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Raheem Sterling is another who has shone brightly for the National team in recent tournaments. He was arguably the best player for England at the last Euros. His form at domestic level has not been great but he seems to produce his best moments for his country.
The Coach
Southgate has his detractors but he has been largely responsible for the most successful period in recent years. While he can sometimes be too cautious and a lot of fans have turned on him, Crucially, he still commands the respect of the dressing room and continues to carry the hope of the Nation on his shoulders. There are rumors that this could be his last tournament as England boss. If those stories are to be true, he would love to leave on a high note.
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Group Fixtures
England vs Iran - Mon 21 Nov, 1pm.
England vs USA - Fri 25 Nov, 7pm.
England vs Wales Tue 29 Nov, 7pm.
England odds to win
England have the fourth best chance of winning the tournament according to bookies with odds of 8.00
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