It’s that time again, and the FIFA World Cup is on our doorsteps. In just over a week, the tournament will begin and group stages will commence. Will the cup be ours this time around? Or will we remain with only one cup, which was all the way back in 1966, where we scored a screaming 4-2 against West Germany? Our win is the only time a single footballer has scored three times in a world cup final, so hats off to Sir Geoff Hurst for that one!
Did you know that only our team has 100% of players based in their national league, followed close by Russia with 21/23 and Saudi Arabia with 20/23! Then the most represented team at Russia 2018 is… Manchester City, with 16 players being in the Cup!
If you fancy having some fun and doing a sweepstake in the office or even at home, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the link to our World Cup 2018 Sweepstake Kit.
England World Cup Fixtures
This time around, we’re in Group G with Belgium, Panama, and Tunisia. Our first game is on the 18th of June, and we’re facing up against Tunisia in the Volgograd Arena. After that, we’re playing against Panama in the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, on the 24th. Finally, our game against Belgium is on the 28th, in the Kaliningrad Stadium.
June 18th – Tunisia
Our first game has us facing off against Tunisia in Volgograd Arena. This football stadium in Southern Russia holds up to 45,568 people, and is a very recent open as it’s only been active since the start of April, 2018. This is Tunisia’s first appearance in the cup in 12 years, so we don’t doubt they’re looking for a few wins. Their game against DR Congo back in September is to thank for their ticket to the 2018 cup.
June 24th – Panama
Next up, is our game against Panama, in Nizhny Novgorod Stadium. Much more north than the previous location, and due east of Moscow. This stadium holds a healthy 44,899 spectators, and was also built this year, in a beautiful location between both Oka and Volgra rivers. This is Panama’s first appearance in the world cup, after their recent smasher against Costa Rica with a 2-1 score.
June 28th – Belgium
Finally, we’re back up against Belgium for our last match of groups. This game will be held in the Kaliningrad Stadium, or Arena Baltika, holding a mild 35,212 fans. This stadium was opened just last month, right in time for the world cup. Belgium are back again, making this their 13th appearance in the cup, after their 2-1 win against Greece. With a lot of FIFA points under their belt, Belgium will surely be a formidable opponent.
The 2018 England Team
Under the coaching of Gareth Southgate and spearheaded with our captain, Harry Kane, we hope to see greatness from our team this year. We’ve had a rough time in the World Cup recently, but that doesn’t mean we can give up hope!
If you haven’t seen the full squad yet, here’s a quick list in full for you to glance over. These are the core 23 players, with a few reserves/backups.
- Nick Pope
- Trent Alexander-Arnold
- Ruben Loftus-Cheek
- Dele Alli
- Marcus Rashford
- Ashley Young
- Fabian Delph
- Phil Jones
- Gary Cahill
- Danny Welbeck
- Jack Butland
- Kieran Trippier
- Jamie Vardy
- Raheem Sterling
- Harry Kane
- Jordan Henderson
- Jesse Lingard
- Harry Maguire
- John Stones
- Eric Dier
- Danny Rose
- Kyle Walker
- Jordan Pickford
Our Sweepstake Kit
Our sweepstakes game doesn’t even require England to win! You can win this game purely by luck, and hoping to pick the winning team when you and your friends, colleagues, or family draw names. Simply print out the attachment and fill in the blanks! Have fun watching the 2018 World Cup and good luck!
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