England vs United States

England’s quest to achieve World Cup glory for the first time since 1966 continues at Al Bayt Stadium against the United States.

Following a thoroughly underwhelming 2022/23 UEFA Nations League season (D3, L3), England desperately needed something to bolster their confidence at the start of the 2022 World Cup. No one could have foreseen England’s thumping 6-2 victory over Iran in a curtain-raising Group B fixture, yet Gareth Southgate’s team defied every expectation. It’s worth noting that the six goals the one-time world champions slotted past the Iranians defeated their disappointing four-game tally across six Nations League outings this year. The ‘Three Lions’ could now win their opening two matches at the World Cup for a fourth time, last doing so in 2018. An ongoing five-match unbeaten H2H run against the US should come in handy (W4, D1), though the only draw in that sequence came in the 2010 showpiece in South Africa.

That stalemate forms part of the United States’ 100% undefeated ratio across two World Cup encounters against England (W1, D1). However, Gregg Berhalter’s relatively inexperienced squad squandered a 1-0 halftime lead in a 1-1 draw against Wales on day one, stretching their abysmal run of no shutouts against European nations at the World Cup to 18 matches. With an average age of 24.5 years, the ‘USMNT’ are the youngest team in Qatar, which somewhat dampens their hopes of reaching the World Cup knockout rounds for the third time in a row. Adding to this sentiment, Berhalte’s men are winless in their last four internationals (D3, L1), suggesting their faint hopes of keeping a World Cup clean sheet against a European nation for the first time since 1950.