Phil Foden could be an important player for England at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar
Photo Joe Misseri / Prost Amerika

Peering into the Crystal ball: England’s Starting XI for the 2022 World Cup

By Renny Thomas

With news of Gareth Southgate’s four-year extension as manager for the English National team, England can look forward to stability through to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.  The English FA has put a lot of faith in Southgate to lead the future of English football, and considering his success leading a young and ambitious squad to a fourth place finish in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Southgate has deserved it.  Many of the stars that led the World Cup campaign will be back leading the charge for the 2020 European Championships, the true high point of this generation of English players could be in 2022. Let’s take a look into the Prost International crystal ball and see which players will be playing key roles  in Qatar:

Goalkeeper

Jordan Pickford is the undisputed first choice keeper.  He started every match during England’s run in Russia and at the age of 24, he doesn’t appear like he’s going anywhere anytime soon.

Pickford, a relative unknown on the international stage before Russia, was terrific in goal and was an outright hero during the penalty shootout victory against Colombia. Pickford’s ability to distribute the ball effectively from the back is also essential in playing in the style that Southgate wants. So long as Pickford maintains the form he displayed this past year, the England keeper job is his for the foreseeable future.

England’s possible World Cup Starting XI in 2022

Defence

Gareth Southgate’s preference to start a back three in front of  Pickford, has been a system that has brought the best out of the components of his squad. With the trio of Kyle Walker, John Stones and Harry Maguire, England displayed a terrific combination of defensive solidity with pace and threat down the flanks.  

Stones will most definitely still feature for England when the next World Cup comes around, as he will be in the primes of their careers at the age of 28.  With four more years of seasoning against top flight competitions at Manchester City, he will provide a solid, tested defensive spine for England four years from now.

One of the benefits of Southgate bringing such a youth oriented squad to Russia is that there will likely be very little roster turnover over the next four years.  Players like Walker and Tottenham full-back Danny Rose will be in their early 30’s, and will most likely still be key contributors for England four years from now.

There will, however, be some young talent that will be pushing to make the starting eleven, mainly in the form of young Liverpool defender, Joe Gomez.  The former Charlton defender has been a steady presence in Liverpool’s back four and will only continue to get better, as he is only 21 years of age and has a mixture of size and athleticism that England should be able to rely on four years from now – not to mention quality leadership at club level  from Virgil van Dijk.

Midfield

There is exceptional talent on the horizon for England that could transform the midfield from what it was Russia.  Ryan Sessegnon, Jadon Sancho and Phil Foden are all working their way through the ranks of English soccer, they should join the talismanic Dele Alli to form a dynamic midfield in four years time.

Sessegnon, the 2018 EFL young player of the year, has been exceptional at Fulham but at the age of 18, he has yet to make his debut for the National team.  His debut is a foregone conclusion, as his talent on the ball, pace and goal scoring instincts are exceptional.

Having started his career at left back, transitioning to left wing,  Sessegnon often gets compared to Gareth Bale and the transition the Real Madrid winger underwent which turned the Welshman into one of the most feared forwards in world football. While there is quite a way to go to make that comparison legitimate, the Fulham winger has all the ability in the world to make that comparison true.

Sancho, currently plying his trade in Germany for Borussia Dortmund, has been terrific for his club this season, with 8 assists on the young season.  The young Dortmund winger’s playstyle has been likened to that of a streetballer, displays a playmaking creativity that English players are not necessarily known for.  Sancho will receive his first official cap with the senior team this week and it should be the first of many.

Foden, the Manchester City midfielder, could be piece that allows England to “bring football home.”  Foden’s creativity and vision and his ability to work in tight spaces will be absolutely necessary if England hopes to take the next step.

For an apt comparison for what Foden can be for England , look no further than his teammate at City, Kevin De Bruyne and what the City playmaker offers the Belgian National team.  Like De Bruyne, his ability to unlock defensives with quick little movements and creativity, will be pivotal in pushing England forward.

Attack

The attack in 2022, like it does currently, will revolve around Harry Kane.  Kane is one of the most intelligent goal scorers in football and while he will be 29 years old in four years, he should be every bit the brilliant goal scorer he is today.  He was a leader for the National team in Russia and in four years time, he will likely be captain by then.

Kane should see a familiar face up top in Qatar, as Raheem Sterling will likely be in the prime of his career in four years time. Sterling is often unfairly maligned by the English media but he has been a terrific player for England and his pace will continue to pose questions to opposing sides.  At 27 years old when kickoff happens in Qatar, Sterling should be a vital part of the English attack in four years.

Young forwards like Liverpool’s Dominic Solanke and Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford are talented young forwards who may have trouble beating out Kane and Sterling for a spot in the starting eleven but will provide terrific depth off the bench as substitutes.

Conclusion

If there is a roadmap for England to follow, it seems that Gareth Southgate and the FA looked no further than their rivals, Germany, for inspiration.  In 2010, Germany was a talented squad that was had plenty of talent but very little experience. That talented but young team reached the semifinals, ultimately falling to a team whose core was in the prime of their careers.  Four years later, with a team of young players who had learn to navigate the pressures of playing in a major tournament, came back and won the ultimate prize. England hope to follow this very same blueprint and hopefully…finally…football can come home.