An England flag – Source: Unsplash
The upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup marks 60 long years since England last hoisted major silverware. That, of course, came back in 1966 on home turf, when a hat-trick from Sir Geoff Hurst downed West Germany at Wembley Stadium. In the years since, the Three Lions have known nothing but pain.
In recent years, though, the story has changed somewhat. Before 2017, England were suffering the most embarrassing defeats on a regular basis. A Euro 2016 loss to lowly Iceland, a disastrous group stage exit at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Frank Lampard’s ghost goal in that 4-1 drubbing to rivals Germany in South Africa four years prior. Those were the lowest lows in English football history.
Gareth Southgate’s Near-Misses
Then, the appointment of Gareth Southgate changed everything. Despite being the manager that no one wanted, the former England international defender proceeded to lead his country to a first World Cup semifinal in 28 years in his first major tournament at the 2018 World Cup. Three years later, he led them to their first major final since 1966 at the European Championships, before following that up with a second straight Euro final in 2024.
All three of those games would painfully end in defeat, and Southgate, sensing that the increased expectations had turned fan sentiment toxic, opted to walk away. Now, Thomas Tuchel is at the helm, and the former Chelsea manager has been brought in with one task: Winning the 2026 World Cup in North America this summer. Online betting sites feel that the German boss has a genuine chance of doing exactly that.
The latest Bovada World Cup odds make England an 11/2 second favourite to lift the trophy on July 19th in MetLife Stadium. Only Spain, the team that handed the Three Lions the second of those two Euro final defeats two years ago, are considered more likely at 9/2. But if Tuchel’s side is to finally end six long decades of hurt, they will have to overcome these three hurdles.
Beating the Heavyweights
While England have reached two finals and a semifinal in their last three tournaments, the opposition they faced en route to those monster games was hardly a murderer’s row. In 2018, England beat Tunisia, Panama, Colombia, and Sweden, securing a semifinal berth. At the same tournament, they also lost twice to Belgium – once in the group stage and again in the third-place playoff – as well as the semifinal defeat to Croatia.
At Euro 2020, it was a similar story. While the second-round victory against Germany was impressive, the Three Lions beat Ukraine and Denmark in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, before then being beaten on penalties by Italy. In Germany in 2024, England managed wins against Serbia, Slovakia, and Switzerland to secure a spot in the semifinals, where they delivered their most impressive display in a 2-1 win against the Netherlands.
At the most recent World Cup in Qatar, the narrative rang true once more. Southgate’s men handily dispatched Iran, Wales, and Senegal, netting 11 goals in the process. The first decent side they faced was reigning champions France in the quarterfinals. And they were duly beaten after Olivier Giroud’s late header.
To win the World Cup, you’re going to have to beat the world’s best; that is to be expected. It’s something that England repeatedly failed to do under Southgate, and in the end, that cost them silverware. They cannot make the same mistake under Tuchel.
Continue Conquering the Penalty Shootout Curse
Perhaps the most impressive thing Southgate was able to do throughout his tenure in charge was to conquer England’s penalty shootout curse. Before 2018, the Three Lions had never won a shootout at the World Cup. Under their former manager, however, they won three of the four they competed in, including in the 2018 World Cup round of 16 against Colombia. If the Three Lions are to leave North America as champions this summer, they will have to continue in that vein.
Reigning champions Argentina had to win two penalty shootouts en route to the trophy in Qatar. Italy won the title from the spot in 2006, while France also had to win a shootout on their way to glory in 1998. If we look at the European Championships, four of the last five winners have had to win a penalty shootout at one point or another. As such, then, Tuchel must continue in Southgate’s footsteps and ensure that his side remains calm and composed under the biggest pressure cooker the beautiful game has to offer if they are to have any chance of claiming the trophy.
Managing Egos
Over the years, England managers have struggled to manage the huge personalities in their squads. Sven Goran Eriksson was tasked with somehow getting David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, John Terry, and Rio Ferdinand all on the same page, and he failed. Steve McLaren, Fabio Capello, and Roy Hodgson couldn’t do it either.
When Southgate took over, he inherited a new generation, one without egos and with a willingness to prove itself. Tuchel won’t be afforded the same luxury. Star midfielder Jude Bellingham is already reportedly causing problems, while Marcus Rashford became known for his bad attitude during his later years at Manchester United. Keeping such players in line and on side is a non-negotiable.
