England World Cup Squad Betting
Drawn alongside Belgium, Panama and Tunisia in Group G, the English public will expect progress to the knockout stages of the 2018 World Cup to be a given.
The inaugural Autumn Nations Cup was introduced last year, due to the global pandemic, with England also winning this tournament. The hosts made hard work against a depleted France in the final. After England's U20 World Cup final win over Venezuela, we profile each of the young lions in Paul Simpson's squad. After beating Italy 3-1 on Thursday, Simpson's side earned a tense 1-0 victory.
However, the Three Lions have a habit of underwhelming when it comes to major international tournaments.
2018 World Cup Qualification
Once again England's qualification was relatively stress free. Unbeaten over the course of 10 matches, they topped Group F with 26 points (won eight, drawn two) but can Gareth Southgate's side turn those somewhat encouraging performances into tournament form?
Editors' Picks
That would certainly require the bucking of a trend that has become all too familiar when it comes to disappointing exploits following comfortable qualifying campaigns.
Harry Kane top scored with five goals during qualifying and the Tottenham striker - who narrowly missed out on a third straight Premier League top goalscorer award - will be tasked with leading the line in Russia.
Tournament history
The Three Lions have yet to replicate their success on home soil in 1966 and recent editions of the World Cup have been unwhelming affairs.
An embarassing group stage exit in Brazil 2014 under Roy Hodgson saw the side pick up just a single point courtesy of a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica and was the third straight tournament that England failed to make the quarter finals.
2018 World Cup Squad
| GK | DEF | MID | ST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Butland | Trent Alexander-Arnold | Dele Alli | Harry Kane |
| Jordan Pickford | Gary Cahill | Eric Dier | Marcus Rashford |
| Nick Pope | Phil Jones | Fabian Delph | Raheem Sterling |
| Harry Maguire | Jordan Henderson | Jamie Vardy | |
| Danny Rose | Jesse Lingard | Danny Welbeck | |
| John Stones | Ruben Loftus-Cheek | ||
| Kieran Trippier | Ashley Young | ||
| Kyle Walker |
Latest World Cup odds
| Market | Price |
|---|---|
| To win the World Cup | 16/1 (17.0) |
| To make the World Cup final | 13/2 (7.50) |
| To win Group G | 23/20 (2.15) |
| To Qualify from Group G | 1/8 (1.12) |
| To be the Top European team | 12/1 (13.0) |
The World Cup is now just a matter of weeks away, with Gareth Southgate and his players having gathered at St Georges Park in a bid to step up preparations ahead of the tournament. The announcement of the squad also raises many questions and talking points, however the Three Lions side has a familiar feel to it this time around, with few surprises to speak of. Striker Harry Kane will lead the team in Russia, with the rest of the squad being dominated by talent from major Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. Let’s take a closer look at the England squad travelling to Russia, with Southgate’s men entering the tournament as outsiders to reach the last four, despite their impressive qualifying campaign.
Goalkeepers
With former number one Joe Hart having missed out on a place in the squad due to his indifferent form whilst on loan at West Ham this season, it looks like Jordan Pickford has won the race to start in between the sticks in Russia, with the Everton man having started the majority of recent matches for England. Elsewhere, Jack Butland and Nick Pope are also included in the 23-man squad, although their action is likely to be limited.
Defenders
World Cup Betting Predictions
With Southgate set to adopt a formation utilising five defenders in Russia, it comes as little surprise that no fewer than ten have been named in England’s squad for the summer. The likes of Kyle Walker, John Stones, Kieran Trippier and Harry Maguire are seemingly all likely starters, however the form of young Liverpool full-back Alexander Trent-Arnold will certainly be giving Southgate food for thought, with the 19-year-old being only the second uncapped player in the entire squad. Elsewhere, Ashley Young is a versatile option for the Three Lions, while the experience of Gary Cahill see’s the Chelsea man included also.
Midfielders
One of the major talking points here was the exclusion of Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, with many believing that he should have been named in the squad. However, Southgate has opted for the likes of Jordan Henderson, Eric Dier and Dele Alli instead, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek offers something a little different with his skill and stature. Injury to Liverpool’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain means that he misses out, with team mate Adam Lallana among five players on standby this summer.
Strikers
Captain Harry Kane will look to enjoy a better tournament than he did at Euro 2016 in France two years ago, with the Spurs frontman likely to be supported by Raheem Sterling and Jesse Lingard in attack. Sterling enjoyed a fine season under the guidance of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, while Lingard is perhaps one of England’s most improved players in recent times.
On Standby
England World Cup Squad Betting Picks
With England playing warm-up matches against both Nigeria and Costa Rica before heading to Russia, the likelihood of someone suffering an injury in such encounters is potentially quite high. As a result, Southgate has named five players who will be on standby, all of which are currently training with the squad too. Tom Heaton, James Tarkowski, Jake Livermore, Lewis Cook and Adam Lallana will all be chomping at the bit to be involved.