England fans are expectant at the 2022 FIFA World Cup after the Three Lions came within a penalty shootout of Euro 2020 glory against Italy at Wembley.
A semifinal defeat to Croatia in Russia four years ago was England’s best World Cup performance since Italy 1990, and they went even closer to glory last year in the Euros.
However, those performances bring with them a pressure for Gareth Southgate and his players for the trip to Qatar, after a disappointing end to their 2022/23 UEFA Nations League campaign.
England will be confident of a run into the knockout stages in the Middle East, but there is real uncertainty over their progress in the last 12 months. They will need their young talent to shine if they are to lift the trophy in Qatar.
MORE: World Cup Group B: Match schedule, times and dates for England, USA, Iran and Wales
How many times has England has won the World Cup?
England’s only World Cup win so far, back in 1966, has become the most iconic moment in the Three Lions’ football history.
An infamous 4-2 extra-time win over West Germany has provided inspiration, and no little degree of tension, for England squads ever since.
Geoff Hurst was the hero of that Wembley triumph, as his hat-trick sealed a memorable triumph. It still stands as the only hat-trick in a World Cup final.
The game was also notable for the controversial third goal awarded to England by referee Gottfried Dienst and linesman Tofiq Bahramov, which saw the ball bounce down and, depending on who you ask, either bounce over or on the line.
With no VAR to answer the question definitively back then, it remains one of the most controversial World Cup goals ever given.
Following on from the glory of 1966, England has twice reached the last four, including tears from talisman Paul Gascoigne as they went out of Italy 1990 and Southgate’s class of 2018.
England World Cup history
After reaching their first World Cup in 1950, England have been a consistent qualifier ever since, with just three tournaments missed in the post-war period.
The Premier League era has triggered a streak of solidity, with five knockout-stage finishes from six tournaments, although the ‘next step’ has proven impossible to take for a string of England squads and managers.
| World Cup Year | Stage Reached | Record (W-D-L) | Goals Scored |
| 1930 | DNE* | – | – |
| 1934 | DNE | – | – |
| 1938 | DNE | – | – |
| 1950 | Group Stage | 1-0-2 | 2 |
| 1954 | Quarterfinals | 1-1-1 | 8 |
| 1958 | Group Stage | 0-3-1 | 4 |
| 1962 | Quarterfinals | 1-1-2 | 5 |
| 1966 | Won | 5-1-0 | 11 |
| 1970 | Quarterfinals | 2-0-2 | 4 |
| 1974 | DNQ** | – | – |
| 1978 | DNQ | – | – |
| 1982 | Second Group Stage | 3-2-0 | 6 |
| 1986 | Quarterfinals | 2-1-2 | 7 |
| 1990 | Fourth Place | 3-3-1 | 8 |
| 1994 | DNQ | – | – |
| 1998 | Round of 16 | 2-1-1 | 7 |
| 2002 | Quarterfinals | 2-2-1 | 6 |
| 2006 | Quarterfinals | 3-2-0 | 6 |
| 2010 | Round of 16 | 1-2-1 | 3 |
| 2014 | Group Stage | 0-1-2 | 2 |
| 2018 | Fourth Place | 3-1-3 | 12 |
*Did not enter
**Did not qualify
Will England win the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
The question of when England will follow up that sole triumph in 1966 has been an unbearable weight for generations of Three Lions star players and managers for five-and-a-half decades.
Southgate’s measured approach has so far been one of the only styles to have come close, yielding a semifinal place at Russia 2018. The only other manager to have achieved that was Sir Bobby Robson back at Italy 1990, when England went out to eventual winners West Germany.
Southgate will be confident of easing out of Group B this time around, but the prospect of defending champions France in the quarterfinals looks to be a dauting one.
Uncertainty in form and injury to some of England’s key performers from last year’s Euro 2020 run — including Harry Maguire, Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips — has undermined confidence in their hopes, despite the goal threat of Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling, and the excellent rise of Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham.
England 2022 World Cup schedule
England kick off Group B with a clash against Iran in Al Rayyan, just a few hours before the second game in the group, as Wales take on the United States.
As the top seed in the group, England start their campaign with arguably their easiest fixture, taking on an Iranian side who are ranked outside the top 20 in the world in the latest FIFA rankings.
Games against the U.S. and Wales are likely to decide England’s fate as potential group winners, with a clash against Gregg Berhalter’s side painted as a potential banana skin.
The British ‘derby’ with Wales shapes up as a potentially decisive group clincher.
Group B match schedule
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Mon, Nov. 21 | England vs. Iran | 8:00 a.m. | Khalifa International Stadium |
| Fri, Nov. 25 | England vs. USA | 2:00 p.m. | Al Bayt Stadium |
| Tues, Nov. 29 | England vs. Wales | 2:00 p.m. | Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium |
Potential knockout round schedule — if England finishes 1st in Group B
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Sun, Dec. 4 | Round of 16 | 2:00 p.m. | Al Bayt Stadium |
| Sat, Dec. 10 | Quarterfinals | 2:00 p.m. | Al Bayt Stadium |
| Wed, Dec. 14 | Semifinals | 2:00 p.m. | Al Bayt Stadium |
| Sat, Dec. 17* | Third Place Match | 10:00 a.m. | Khalifa International Stadium |
| Sun, Dec. 18 | Final | 10:00 a.m. | Lusail Stadium |
*Only in event of defeat in semifinals
Potential knockout schedule — if England finishes 2nd in Group B
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Sat, Dec. 3 | Round of 16 | 10:00 a.m. | Khalifa International Stadium |
| Fri, Dec. 9 | Quarterfinals | 2:00 p.m. | Lusail Stadium |
| Tue, Dec. 13 | Semifinals | 2:00 p.m. | Lusail Stadium |
| Sat, Dec. 17* | Third Place Match | 10:00 a.m. | Khalifa International Stadium |
| Sun, Dec. 18 | Final | 10:00 a.m. | Lusail Stadium |
*Only in event of defeat in semifinals
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