Home of football statistics and historyThe World Cup is finally here, but if you were on the streets of Old Blighty, you wouldn’t know it. The flags aren’t up, the pubs aren’t decked out, and truth be told, no one is really speaking about England’s chances in North America this summer. And if the online betting sites are to be believed, those chances are actually pretty high.
The latest odds from 5Gringos online sportsbook make Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions a 7/1 third-favourite to win the World Cup this summer. Spain, the team that beat England in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin two years ago, are the favourites at 9/2. Then come back-to-back finalists — and winners in 2018 — France at 5/1. Then, it’s England. Surely then, excitement should be going into overdrive, shouldn’t it?
Well, truth be told, not quite. And here’s why.
Increased Expectations
Let’s rewind to 2018. Gareth Southgate, the man that nobody wanted, had just been installed as manager after the tumultuous 67-day reign of Sam Allardyce. The greatest player in England’s recent history, Wayne Rooney, was nowhere to be found. And a squad containing the likes of Ashley Young, Dele Alli, and Jesse Lingard was on its way to Russia with the lowliest expectations.
The Three Lions had just been dumped out of Euro 2016 by Iceland, while their last World Cup campaign ended in the group stages after disastrous defeats to both Italy and Uruguay. Then, Southgate’s men managed to galvanise the nation. They won their first-ever World Cup shootout in the round of 16 against Colombia, then beat Sweden to secure a first semifinal berth since 1990. Suddenly, football was coming home, until the Croatians heartbreakingly ended the story.
Since then, England have gone from strength to strength, reaching back-to-back European Championship finals built around the talismanic Harry Kane and prodigy Jude Bellingham. Unfortunately, however, the Three Lions would lose both of those championships, and now, supporters are no longer dreaming of success, but rather expecting it. Indeed, manager Thomas Tuchel, who was brought in following Southgate’s resignation after that Euro 2024 defeat, was brought in with one sole mandate: Winning the World Cup.
But when fans are expecting success, excitement naturally declines. They don’t get excited for warm-up friendlies against New Zealand and Costa Rica. They don’t get excited about group stage games against Panama and Ghana. They need to see England win the big one. They need to see them beat Brazil in the quarterfinals and Argentina in the semifinals. And until we reach either of those stages, expect excitement levels to remain muted.
Squad selection
While England’s performances have gradually gotten better over the last decade or so, so has the squad. Manager Tuchel, however, has dropped many of the big names in a bid to build the best team as opposed to picking “the most talented players.” As such, several fan favourites won’t be in North America this summer, something which has no doubt contributed to the lack of excitement.
Phil Foden was a favourite of former boss Southgate, starting that Euro 2024 final defeat against Spain. However, he is nowhere to be found. Cole Palmer, the man who scored England’s equaliser in Berlin and assisted Ollie Watkins’ last-minute winner against the Netherlands in the semifinals, has also been dropped. Harry Maguire, so reliable for England for so many years, has also been left out, much to the dismay of many. And that’s without mentioning Trent Alexander-Arnold, arguably the most gifted right back in world football when it comes to pure technical ability.
In their place come names such as Djed Spence, Dan Burn, Jarell Quansah, Tino Livramento, and Noni Madueke, players who impressed throughout qualifying but have done little for their clubs throughout the 2025/26 Premier League to merit selection, at least in the eyes of fans. It remains to be seen whether Tuchel has gotten his squad selection right; we won’t know that until the final concludes on July 19th. But he certainly hasn’t attempted to appease both fans and the media with his choices. This is very much Tuchel’s squad, and not a very exciting one at that.
Location and Build Up
Much has been made of the tournament co-hosts, specifically the United States, which will host the vast majority of the tournament alongside neighbours Mexico and Canada. The Americans are notoriously not a “soccer” nation, but it’s not just that fact that has triggered a downturn in excitement.
Astronomical prices for tickets to games have kept many fans away, and that’s not all. Fans’ wallets will also suffer before they even get to the stadium. In the Big Apple, for example, fans attending games at MetLife Stadium — the site of the final — will have to pay a mighty $98 for a train to the ground, down from a proposed $150. Not only that, but supporters will also be charged north of $20 for a pint of beer once in attendance.
But even those fans not travelling to the States are set to suffer. Late-night kick-off times in the UK have angered many. While England’s games won’t suffer too much — they kick off at 9 pm against Croatia and Ghana — most of the games will be taking place through the night, with some even kicking off as late as 3 am.
All of that and more has excitement levels at an all-time low ahead of the tournament. Even still, though, as soon as England’s first game against the Croats kicks off on June 17th, the beautiful game will take centre stage and Baddiel and Skinner will be blasting from every jukebox in the country. It’s now on Tuchel’s men to finally deliver for a nation starved of success.
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