one step closer. England beat Mexico 3-2 in their own backyard to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.
Despite being down to 10 men midway through the second half, the Three Lions produced one of the best performances in tournament history to defeat the co-hosts. Two goals from Jude Bellingham and a penalty from Harry Kane before half-time helped England advance to the last eight.
Thomas Tuchel’s side will play Norway in Miami on Saturday (kick-off 10pm BST) for a place in the semi-finals. And Norway’s stunning 2-1 victory over Brazil, thanks to a double from the late Erling Haaland, changed the dynamics of England’s road to glory – which, before beating the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the last 32, was considered the most difficult road in World Cup history.
England were initially expected to play Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Spain. According to the latest update on June 11th, these four countries boast an average FIFA ranking of 5.75.
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But the addition of 31st-placed Norway has made England’s path easier, statistically at least. From this point on, the average ranking of expected opponents jumps to 11.3. If France made the final instead of Spain, it would be 11.7.
Of course, Norway should never be underestimated, as they showed their quality by defeating five-time champions Brazil, and rankings mean nothing on the pitch. But how does England’s path to winning the World Cup compare to that of their rivals?
France will likely average 4.3 points against Morocco, Spain and England. However, if Argentina advances to the final and it is a rematch of the 2022 tournament, France, who is ranked third in the world, will have a score of 3.3.
The case of Spain is more complicated. The European champions, who are second in the world after Argentina, have yet to book their ticket to the quarter-finals as they are scheduled to play Portugal on Monday.
Will England win the World Cup? Let us know your predictions in the comments section.
Thomas Tuchel takes England to the quarter-finals (Image: Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
The current predicted rankings are as follows: Portugal, Belgium, France, Argentina. Add to this the additional hurdle of having to get past Portugal, and the average becomes 4.5.
Argentina are also not in the last eight as they will face Egypt on Tuesday. The average predicted ranking is 12th, along with Egypt, Colombia, England and Spain.
England’s predicted route to the World Cup final
Quarterfinals vs. Norway – Miami (Saturday, July 11th, 10pm) Semifinals vs. Argentina – Atlanta (Wednesday, July 15th, 8pm) Finals vs. Spain – New Jersey (Sunday, July 19th, 8pm)
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