The World Cup will soon be upon us, and perhaps as many as 10 sides feel they can go all the way in Qatar. Having said that, only four teams at single-digit odds are the real favourites to win World Cup 2022. England is among that quartet, and in this article, we will look at England’s odds to win the 2022 World Cup.
We will assess England’s strengths and weaknesses, and we’ll examine their World Cup 2022 fixtures to predict how the games will pan out. In addition, we will take a broader look at English football in general, as well as England’s World Cup group and their possible pathway through the latter stages of the competition. We might even throw in some World Cup 2022 betting tips, too, if we are feeling generous!
Can England Go All The Way?
Until recently, the Three Lions have long been a bit of a laughingstock on the world stage. However, over the past five years, they have been on an upward trajectory. They made the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, the finals of the 2019 Nations League and the final of Euro 2020. That has led many, especially in England itself, to believe that 2022 could finally be the year they end the long wait for a major trophy.
Looking around the many brilliant Qatar 2022 betting sites, we can see that the best current odds on Gareth Southgate’s side winning the World Cup are 9/1. They are the fourth favourites as far as the bookies are concerned, so they clearly have at least a reasonable chance, but can they really go all the way in Qatar?
Some punters will look at those “England to win World Cup 2022” odds and feel they are a shade short of a side that has just suffered relegation in the Nations League. However, there are some compelling reasons to believe that the 1966 World Cup winners can deliver, once again, 56 years after their only major triumph.
England’s Squad
First of all, their squad is hugely talented, with many players plying their trade at some of the world’s top clubs. The England 26 will feature players from Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Arsenal and quite probably Liverpool (the squad is yet to be announced). What’s more, FIFA’s decision to increase the squad size from 23 to 26 also favours them as they have admirable strength in depth.
In Harry Kane, England has one of the world’s best number nines and a quiet skipper who leads by example. He will come into the tournament with 51 international goals to his name and is almost guaranteed to add to that. After all, he was the Golden Boot winner four years ago in Russia.
The Three Lions are also hard to break down, and in Jordan Pickford, they have a goalkeeper who thrives on the big occasion. He is often criticised but has never let his country down and has matured over the past few years. Declan Rice provides excellent coverage in front of the back four, and Jude Bellingham they have one of the best young midfielders in the world.
It may seem strange to suggest a man valued by his club, Borussia Dortmund, at ￡130m, could be the tournament’s breakout star, but we fancy the Liverpool target could really announce himself in Qatar. English football is also blessed with a plethora of attacking options to play around and with Kane.
At this stage, we do not know who will make it to Qatar and get to wear the England World Cup kit in 2022. However, Bukayo Saka, Jack Grealish, Mason Mount, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling and others are all providing Southgate with a positive selection headache.
The Three Lion’s Manager
Finally, of course, we should not forget Southgate himself. Some view him negatively, as we shall discuss. However, critics should remember that he has brought a real sense of calm to the England set-up and that the Three Lions were just a penalty or two away from winning the Euros. He has taken the pressure off the players, made them believe in themselves and enabled them to perform more as they do for their clubs.
Southgate’s experience of loss as a player and in tournament football might prove crucial in Qatar. He knows that major tournaments are decided on the finest of margins. His focus on defence and set pieces, and penalties, may not please everyone, but they could make the odds on England to win World Cup 2022 look like real value come mid-December.
Poor Performances A Concern
While some punters will be keen to back England to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, others will feel their odds are far too short. One of the chief concerns will be recent results and performances.
In the 2022/23 edition of the Nations League England finished bottom of Group A3, suffering the ignominy of relegation. They failed to win a single game and were beaten home and away by Hungary, including a humbling 4-0 loss in front of their fans.
Despite scoring three goals in the last of their fixtures, they have really struggled for goals, especially from open play. This reflects another of the big criticisms made against England: the team, and especially their manager, are far too defensive. Given this, there is every chance at least one of their matches will go to penalties and given England’s record in shootouts, that is unlikely to end well.
Last of all, whilst defence may be their focus, they have significant problems there too. Injuries to Reece James, Kyle Walker and defensive midfielder Kalvin Phillips have really hurt them. However, the latter pair could yet make the squad. In addition, Southgate seems unsure whether to opt for two or three at the back. To make things worse, his preferred two centre-backs, Harry Maguire and John Stones, have not been playing all the time and have not been at their best.
Group And Draw
England are in what some have labelled the Group of Death. However, Group of Political Hostilities may be a more accurate, though less catchy, description. England’s World Cup group 2022 features Wales, Iran and the United States. At the time of writing, all four nations are inside the top 20 in the world according to FIFA, hence the Group of Death tag. However, FIFA’s rankings are known for being imperfect, to say the least, and England supporters will be optimistic.
There will be no easy games, but Southgate will be confident he has the players to top the group. England should certainly qualify and indeed are priced at odds of just 1/9 to do so. After that, they would meet a side from Group A in the last 16.
That means any one of Senegal, Ecuador, Netherlands or the hosts Qatar. That could be a tough group to second guess, but the Three Lions would fancy their chances against any of those. From that point, there are too many permutations to make it worthwhile wondering, but England would be pitted against a team from Group C or D.
That probably means coming up against Argentina or France, two of the three sides above England in the outright World Cup betting odds. That would be a tough game, but at least the Three Lions should have a decent chance to work their way into the tournament first.
England’s Chances
In conclusion, there are things to like about England’s chances at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. England’s World Cup odds suggest they have the fourth-best chance of all 32 teams, whilst they were so close to winning the Euros in the summer of 2021.
We feel their poor showing in the Nations League is not too concerning, given the condensed nature of the fixtures and the changes to personnel Southgate tried. What’s more, three draws with Germany and Italy are hardly the stuff of nightmares.
England does have some injury concerns, but they also have other players hitting form at the right time. In addition, the winter scheduling of the tournament should favour them, as it is often noted that this is when English players are at their best, as opposed to June and July after the relentless slog of club football.
Kane will take whatever chances come his way, and the squad has, despite that poor Nations League, real belief that they can win in Qatar. We do not think England’s odds stand out as huge value, but should you fancy a bet on them, it is certainly not the worst punt in the world.
