The motherland of football, just relegated from the A-League of the new UEFA Nations League, is in panic mode. Just before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, captain and goalscorer Harry Kane’s team is in a slump of form. Nevertheless, the whole of England is hoping to win the prestigious World Cup title. After the bitter defeat in the final of the European Championship at home in Wembley Stadium, the Three Lions finally want to make it big.
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England at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – It’s coming home?
Measured by the market value of the teams, the team from the island is already the world champion. With a market value beyond the billion mark, England’s squad is more valuable than the teams from Brazil, France or Argentina.
Things have also gone well for the Three Lions in past major tournaments. At the end of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, they reached the semi-finals and, after losing the minor final, finished fourth. The England team did even better at the last European Championship in 2021, where they even reached the final at home in Wembley Stadium. However, the team had to admit defeat to the Italian national team. But the good news is, that Italy will not be participating at the World Cup.
As group winners, the English qualified for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar. With a remarkable goal difference of +36, the English team had the best goal difference of all European teams at the end of the qualifying campaign. In only two of their ten matches did the team fail to come away victorious.
This euphoria and the team that thrilled the fans with its refreshing attacking football at the last European Championship are no longer in evidence. Harry Maguire’s team was relegated from the Nations League group with Germany, Italy and England. Together with the Welsh national team, the English were the only team in the A-League not to win a single match in the group stage.
Accordingly, the anticipation for the upcoming World Cup in the motherland of football is somewhat dampened. Too often in the recent past, the team has appeared too despondent and tactically haphazard. The fear of another disappointment is great.
Despite a crisis of form: This gives hope for a World Cup victory for the Three Lions!
Regardless of this, the hopes of the English population for the World Cup title are undiminished. And not without good reason! The fifth-placed team in the FIFA world rankings wants to finally take its place on the throne of the best team in the world again after winning the World Cup in 1966.
The English team certainly has the quality to win the title. In particular, there are numerous top players on the offensive. In addition to captain and top scorer of the last World Cup Harry Kane, Jack Grealish, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden are all candidates for a starting eleven. The coach of the English national team is spoilt for choice here. Given the quality available, however, no coach in the world would want to complain. Each of these top players has already proven that he can decide games on his own. Opposing defences probably know easier tasks than defending England’s attack.
In the high-quality midfield, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Mason Mount, Declan Rice, Jordan Henderson and Kalvin Philips are all available to the coach. Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham, in particular, is regarded as an upcoming shooting star and hopes to make his breakthrough at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The defence, too, is filled with top-class players. At the full-back positions, there is also a battle for playing time. On the right, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James and Kyle Walker will compete against each other. At the left-back position there is a duel between Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell. In the centre of defence, Eric Dier and John Stones seem to be set for the time being, alongside defender Harry Maguire. However, Fikayo Tomori and Marc Guéhi are also lurking for their chance.
Despite the high quality of the individual players, the defence is regarded as a major weak point of the English national team. Not least the lack of a real top keeper does the rest. Neither Aaron Ramsdale and Dean Henderson nor Nick Pope have been able to make a lasting impression. Time and again, the media and the English public have been discussing the traditional goalkeeping question of the Three Lions.
World Cup 2022 in Qatar – the English national team’s big chance
In the draw for the groups for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, the English team certainly had luck on its side. With the USA, neighbouring Wales and Iran, the Three Lions were drawn a comparatively easy group.
In this group phase, it should be possible for the team to win the group and thus gain a good starting position for the following knockout phase of the World Cup finals. Only then will the teams await, with which the high-quality team made up of many top players from the English Premier League would like to compete. Here it will be important to see to what extent the team rediscovers the strength of its own offensive and gets a grip on its own defence.
Especially the recent performances in the newly created UEFA Nations League would most likely not be enough against top-class teams. With the lucky draw, however, the English team has the comfortable opportunity to slowly work its way into the tournament without immediately meeting a co-favourite for the World Cup title.
Conclusion: the Three Lions are venturing a renewed attack on the world’s best!
When people talk about the title favourites at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, they mainly talk about Brazil and defending champions France. However, it can be assumed that the English national team will also have a say in the title fight.
The extraordinarily high quality of the English team is particularly evident in the wide range of players. The coach of the Three Lions has several options at every position, without any significant loss of quality.
Should the team start the tournament successfully, the lost euphoria in the country will be rekindled. Then, at the latest, anything is possible for the motherland of football at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
