Sixty after its only world title, England still believes in a new quest

Is it finally time for the Three Lions? This nagging question has not finished haunting England which, in recent years, has often caught itself in the dream before tripping over itself: two lost Euro finals (2020, 2024), and exits in the half and quarter at the 2018 and 2022 WC.

Even if Thomas Tuchel chose to do without certain executives like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Phil Foden or Cole Palmer, the English squad is once again sufficiently stocked with talent to legitimately hope to lift the trophy on July 19.

Especially since captain and scorer Harry Kane is in the form of his life: the 32-year-old striker had the most prolific season of his career with Bayern Munich (61 goals), while being omnipresent in all areas of the game.

Ghana and Panama awaiting

The English will, however, start the World Cup with a big piece: Croatia’s Luka Modric who, at 40, is aiming for a new world epic after those of 2018 (final) and 2022 (semi-final).

Croatian coach Zlatko Dalic, who knows his team perfectly and has led it since 2017, will have to rediscover the recipe that worked so well during the last two World Cups: the Croatians left Euro 2024 ingloriously in the groups, without the slightest victory on the clock.

Behind the two English and Croatian leaders, Ghana and Panama, much less experienced, will try to make their way to the round of 16. The Black Stars, who did not make it out of the groups during the last two participations after reaching the quarters in 2010, are counting on a new coach, the Portuguese Carlos Queiroz, who arrived in April. Panama, the only representative of Central America outside the Caribbean, is looking for success at the World Cup, after three defeats in 2018 for its first participation.

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