Nickname: Three Lions
Captain: Harry Kane
Key Player: Jude Bellingham
Coach: Gareth Southgate
Last World Cup Appearance: 2018 (4th Place)
England has been the butt of jokes in international football. Having produced good players, they fall short of the expectations they put on themselves and have an embarrassing result here or there. However, they are on the teams that could win the World Cup in Qatar and their showings in recent tournaments back it up. They reached the semifinals in the 2018 World Cup, their first since the 1990 edition, and made it to the Final of the European Championships last year. England's first-ever Euro final. Despite that, England is not in a good place right now. They are winless in six games, and their performances have not been encouraging. Having been on the job since 2016, Gareth Southgate has made England a good tournament team that is difficult to beat. However, there are still question marks over him for various reasons. His pragmatic style of play, squad choices, tactical inflexibility and if he is the man to get England to the promised land. They qualified with minimal fuss, going through the qualifiers unbeaten and scoring 39 goals. Their captain is Spurs striker Harry Kane, who has 51 goals for the Three Lions and won the Golden Boot in the 2018 tournament. He's England's most important player. Raheem Sterling was arguably the best player in the 2020 Euros and is experienced in tournament football for England, despite turning 28 in December. One to look out for is Jude Bellingham, who finished fourth in the Kopa Trophy. A dynamic midfielder, Bellingham is physically imposing and can pose his authority on the field, despite being 19 years of age. A young squad that has been at the business end in recent tournaments, England should be in the conversation, but supporters are not feeling it for Qatar. Maybe the team can prove them wrong or right, but the resources are there. So, will football come home or take another detour?
Can They Go Through: YES
Nickname: Stars and Stripes
Captain: Christian Pulisic
Key Player: Gio Reyna
Coach: Gregg Berhalter
Last World Cup Appearance: 2014 (Round of 16)
The United States of America is not a football nation to the level of their European counterparts or their near rivals Mexico. It also did not help that they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, losing against Trinidad & Tobago. Arguably their lowest of the Star & Stripes. Since then, they have won the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Nations League. Plus, a set of players that are playing across Europe. So this set of American players is arguably America's finest in the modern era. Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Sergino Dest and Brenden Aaronson are notable names in USMNT and will be vital in America's chances of going to the knockout stages. Christian Pulisic is America's best player and figurehead. Despite having 52 caps, Pulisic is only 24 years of age, displaying how long he has been a pro. A player to highlight is Borussia Dortmund winger Gio Reyna. Like Pulisic, Reyna is a creative player, capable of playing as a winger or attacking midfielder. These players are likely to be America's creative outlets but have struggled with injuries over recent years. Coach Gregg Berhalter has been at the helm for almost four years but has struggled to get the best from his players. Though the States achieved qualification, they dropped points against Jamacia, El Salvador and Panama, finishing in the automatic spots on goal difference. The United States has managed to get to the knockout stages on three occasions since 2002 and has earned notable results in these tournaments. The United States are second favourites to get out of the group but will have to navigate its way against Wales and Iran, both sticky opposition. Also, they could capitalise on England's poor form, leaving them a good chance of topping the group. The USMNT can do something in this tournament, and with the next World Cup being in the United States, this can provide a platform for them and football in the States.
Can They Go Through: YES
Nickname: Team Melli
Captain: Ehsan Hajsafi
Key Player: Mehdi Taremi
Coach: Carlos Queiroz
Last World Cup Appearance: 2018 (Group Stage)
Team Melli has now made it to three straight World Cups since failing to qualify for the 2010 edition in South Africa. They have become regulars in recent years, but this is only their sixth World Cup appearance. In their last appearance in 2018, they beat Morocco. Their second World Cup win and narrowly missed out on the knockout stages behind Spain and Portugal. Iran is one of the strongest nations in West Asia, having won three Asian Cups during the late 1960s and 1970s. They have not been able to reach those heights, reaching the semifinals of the last Asian Cup in 2019. Carlos Queiroz leads Iran to Qatar but recently returned after Dragan Skocic was relieved of his duties. Skocic took charge of Iran's qualifying campaign, and they were the first team to qualify from Asia. They finished with 25 points from ten games, ahead of South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. Their players mostly play in Iran, with some stardust of players in Europe as well. Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Ehsan Hajsafi and Saman Ghoddos are those playing in Europe. Iran under Queiroz is a side that leaves very little to the opposition. Hence why, their key players are strikers Mehdi Taremi and Sardar Azmoun. Taremi is more to note, as he has scored goals for Portuguese side FC Porto. Plus, scoring seven goals during the qualifiers. Iran against the United States will be intriguing, given the recent political tensions between the two nations. Iran can match up with anyone on their day, given the familiarity of the players and coach. They have an outside chance of getting out of the group, but they would need five points or more to have a chance.
Can They Go Through: NO
Nickname: Dragons
Captain: Gareth Bale
Key Player: Kieffer Moore
Coach: Rob Page
Last World Cup Appearance: 1958 (Quarters)
When Wales finally sealed its qualification, it was the fulfilment of a dream that had eluded the nation for decades. Since 1958, they have failed to qualify for the World Cup. Some in heartbreaking fashion. Despite having the likes of Ian Rush, Mark Hughes, Neville Southall and Ryan Giggs, they never managed to send Wales to a major tournament, let alone the World Cup. Now, the Dragons will have its anthem sung on the world stage. It was a long time coming as Wales reached the semifinals of Euro 2016 and the knockout stages again in Euro 2020. Their most recent tournament showed, displaying the trajectory they were on. This World Cup will be the final time this Welsh generation will be together, making this the crowning achievement of their international careers. Wales' qualification was a lengthy one. They finished second in their group behind Belgium, making the playoff spot. They beat Austria in the first playoff game and faced Ukraine in the final playoff, winning the game 1-0 in Cardiff. This trajectory of Wales started under former coach Gary Speed and accelerated under Chris Coleman. Now, Rob Page continues it with his stamp. He has used the 3-5-2 formation, which turns to a 5-3-2 when Wales is out of possession. The formation gets the best out of Gareth Bale, who will have the swansong for his country at the highest level. Now 33 and playing in the United States, Bale remains a key figure with 40 international goals. The most from a Welsh player. He won't be doing it alone. There's striker Kieffer Moore, who usually supports Bale and provides a physical threat that Wales exploits to their favour. Particularly on set pieces. Other notable players include Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen, Ben Davies and Neco Williams. This Wales team has inspired a generation of Wales supporters that can carry on for years to come, and they can pose a threat to this group. They may not go through to the knockout stage, but they will not go down without a fight.
Can They Go Through: NO
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