England’s most recent World Cup experiences have been far from great in recent tournaments, despite the three lions qualifying for every tournament since 1998. And despite having a decent run in the 2018 Rusia world cup and seeing our battle to the semi-finals before unfortunately exiting at the hands of the Croatian finalists, tournaments before this one haven’t been the best. For example, the 2014 world cup saw Roy Hodgson’s England knocked out before even getting out of the group stages.
Thankfully and potentially somewhat surprisingly, the England men’s team is currently one of the favourites for the 2022 Qatar World Cup; if you’re interested in football betting, at the odds of 11/2.
Who do England play in the 2022 World Cup?
England has been drawn into Group B for the 2022 World Cup alongside Iran, Wales and the USA. England will play Iran for the first time in its history on the 21st of November, with games played in 4-day increments. The three lions will face off against The United States on the 25th of November, previously facing them in the world cup in South Africa back in 2010, seeing a controversial 1-1 draw as a result of Rob Green spilling a shot due to the tournaments infamous and unpredictable ball design. England will face Wales, one of their UK counterparts, four days later on the 29th of November, previously being drawn in the groups back in the 2016 Euros, which saw Daniel Sturridge claim a late winner in a 2-1 win.
Possible group winners route:
Should England progress out of their group as victorious winners, the three lions will play one of the Dutch, Senegalese, Qatari or Ecuadorian teams, with Senegal being the most likely opponent out of the bunch should they finish group runners-up.
Moving past this round, England could face off against one of the other tournament favourites, this time in the form of defending champions France. If England progresses even further, big-name teams such as Belgium and Portugal could be met in the semi-finals.
Suppose England successfully reaches consecutive major tournament finals. In that case, teams such as Spain, Germany and Brazil could be faced off against, with these teams coming from the opposite side of the tournament bracket.
Group runners-up possible route:
However, a different pool of teams could be faced if England finishes runners-up in group B. England would most likely face off against the Netherlands in the first knockout round as they are most likely to win group A. The three lions could play Denmark or Argentina if they make it to the last 8. Any further progression into the tournament could also see England play Spain, Brazil, Germany, France, Belgium or Portugal in the semi or deciding final.
What is the Expected Squad for the 2022 World Cup?
Taking a look at Southgate’s final squad announcements before heading into the tournament, fans gave gained some insight into which player could be travelling to Qatar.
Goalkeepers (3): Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale, Dean Henderson
Defenders (12): Trent Alexander Arnold, Reece James, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Fikayo Tomori, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Eric Dier, Connor Coady, Marc Guehi, Ben Chilwell, Luke Shaw.
Midfielders (5): Declan Rice, Jordan Henderson, Jude Bellingham, James Ward-Prowse, Mason Mount.
Forwards (8): Jack Grealish, Raheem Stirling, Phil Foden, Harry Kane, Tammy Abraham, Ivan Toney, Bukayo Saka, Jarrod Bowen.
With Southgate being very set on his squad, with each set of friendlies attracting the same squad announcements, there are several sure staters for the tournament. Star striker Harry Kane, Euros hero Raheem Sterling and midfield stalwart Declan Rice are almost dead certain to have their place in the upcoming squad and lineups, whilst previous fixtures such as Tyrone Mings, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Jordan Henderson are all likely to miss out due to either injury, current form or stronger alternatives.
Players who could break into the squad –
One of the main talking points when it comes to players who could potentially fight for a spot at the 2022 World Cup is Leicester’s main man James Maddison, with the creator managing 20-plus goals and assists in the previous season. However, strong competition from Grealish, Mount, and even the versatile Phil Foden could be a tough challenge for the playmaker.
In addition to Maddison, Ivan Toney could be a rouge shout when it comes to the final squad, with his recent goalscoring form and set piece speciality often rare for an out-and-out striker providing him with a good chance. However, compared to the main man in Harry Kane and Tammy Abraham, who currently leads the line for a Mourinho-managed Roma, it could also be difficult to pull off.
Who are the Favourites?
Regarding the current favourites for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, three major teams lead the standings at the bookies: reigning champions France, 5-time winners Brazil and Euro finalists England.
The French national team will be wanting a much better performance when compared to their 2021 European Championship after exiting on penalties in the round of 16 to tournament minnows Switzerland. Starboy Kylian Mbappe will be hoping for two consecutive tournament wins as his high standards weren’t met in his last major tournament outing, with his team currently at the odds of 11/2.
Moving on to Brazil, the south Americans are currently tournament favourites at 9/2 odds. Following their defeat to Argentina in the 2021 Copa America in their last major tournament, the 5-time winners will be hoping to finish better than their quarter-final exit to Belgium back in Russia. With pools of talent playing in top European leagues, Neymar and co will be hoping to break records and take home a 6th victory.
England also comes into the tournament as one of the favourites, following two impressive major tournament performances seeing them reach both a semi-final and a final for the 2021 euros, despite falling short against Italy. Once again, the three lions have a solid squad heading into Qatar; however, with their more defensive style and tactics, it’s hard to see them causing real trouble for other, more well-rounded nations. However, the world cup is an unpredictable tournament, with each team bringing their best, resulting in underdog victories and major upsets. Regardless of the results and outcomes, we can look forward to a fascinating football tournament.
