Sergio Gallardo

Can the Three Lions finally win another World Cup?

England

England are under pressure to win a World Cup. In recent times, they've made a habit of challenging for trophies but failing to go all the way.

At Russia 2018, Gareth Southgate's men reached the semi-finals, only to go down to Croatia. At Euro 2020, they hosted the final - but lost it to Italy.

A key component of England’s strength as a nation is the Premier League, which is the best league on the planet and is a trend-setter in world football.

It’s also the highest-profile: 1.4bn people in 188 countries watch it. Its clubs are the top spenders, shelling out €2.2bn on transfers last summer.

The Premier League has 571 players. 198 are English: 35%. The next-largest contingent is Frenchmen, who number 32. England should be unbeatable.

Before arriving in Qatar, England took an important step that FIFA won’t like, as the body has told teams to "focus on football" during the World Cup.

England - and several other nations - have decided their captain will wear a rainbow-coloured armband in protest against Qatar’s lack of LGBTQ+ rights.

Skipper Harry Kane will support the ‘One Love’ campaign despite possible FIFA sanctions against the FA: “Wearing the armband sends a clear message when the world is watching.”