Home of football statistics and historyWe are moving a little bit closer to the first-ever winter World Cup which will be staged in Qatar, and while it might be disruptive for all the top European leagues, it will nevertheless be fascinating to see how things pan out.
Of those harbouring a dream to lift the World Cup will be England, who lifted the trophy for the only time in their history in 1966.
Gareth Southgate’s men learned of their fate earlier this month when they found out they would be in Group B along with Iran, the USA, and one of Scotland, Wales or Ukraine.
However, the play-offs aren’t set to be decided until June, and perhaps Southgate will be hoping they avoid Wales. Although Wales have been mere bystanders at the World Cup, as their last appearance came in 1958 when they reached the quarter-finals, Robert Page’s men have been impressive in other international tournaments.
Indeed, at Euro 2016, Wales were one of the surprise packages of the tournament as they progressed to the semi-finals before they were dumped out by Portugal.
Wales has an abundance of talent running through their squad, and when you look at the key players, you automatically think of Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey. Bale’s searing pace is a nightmare for defenders, while Ramsey’s talent is undeniable as he has had spells at Arsenal, Juventus, and now Rangers.
There is a collective sense of belief in the Wales squad, and a feel-good factor that has resurfaced after years in the international wilderness. And former England defender Gary Neville is well aware of the potential threat that Wales could pose if they book their place at the World Cup finals.
He said: “Wales, we just nipped past them a few years ago but Wales ended up going a lot further.
“So these games are really challenging for England – always have been. We know how much it means to the Welsh and the Scottish to play against England – that’s not being arrogant, we just know it’s a huge fixture.
“I’m looking forward to the group. They’ve all got a meaning to them but they are difficult games from an emotional perspective more than a football perspective, and that does carry something of a problem for England.”
England showed in the recent international friendlies that they aren’t short on options, and Jude Bellingham has the potential to be a regular starter. Of course, there is always a lot of hype surrounding England when it comes to the World Cup, especially when it comes to the outright betting markets.
Bookmakers all over the world, including bet365 Australia, will price England with short odds to go the distance and lift the World Cup. At the leading Australian sites, you will be able to find betting lines across all the group games, and this will also entail everything from the goalscorer markets to the total over/under goals section.
While the Three Lions will be dreaming of World Cup glory, deep down, they will secretly be hoping they don’t run into Wales!
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