England World Cup odds: 5/1 for more penalty pain

England World Cup fixtures

England v USA (November 25)

The United States secured their spot in Qatar after claiming the final automatic CONCACAF qualifying place ahead of Costa Rica on goal difference.

This will be the country’s 11th World Cup – with their best showing at the inaugural tournament in 1930 when they reached the semi-finals.

England have twice met the United States at the World Cup. In 1950, they suffered a shock 1-0 group-stage defeat and the Three Lions were held to a 1-1 draw in their opening fixture in 2010 after a howler by goalkeeper Rob Green.

The US failed to qualify for Russia 2018 and have won only two matches in their last three World Cup appearances. Gregg Berhalter, who had a brief playing spell with Crystal Palace at the turn of the century, has been the country’s head coach since 2018.

England v Wales (November 29)

England will face British opposition for the first time at a World Cup in their final group match.

Wales ended their 64-year wait to play at a World Cup by beating Ukraine 1-0 in a pulsating play-off final in Cardiff.

Gareth Bale, so often Wales’ talisman, again produced the decisive moment with his free-kick headed into his own net by Andriy Yarmolenko.

Wales, whose last World Cup appearance came in 1958, lost 2-1 to England in the group stage at Euro 2016 but recovered to reach the semi-finals.

Rob Page is the man who led the Dragons to Qatar having taken over from Ryan Giggs, who had been on leave from his post since November 2020.

Giggs has since stood down as Wales manager with immediate effect ahead of his domestic violence trial in Manchester on August 8.

Group B betting and next opponents

England were one of the top seeds in the World Cup draw and are 1/4 favourites to win Group B following Monday’s impressive start.

They are just 1/10 to qualify in the England World Cup odds, with the top two teams in each group going through to the knockout stage.

The USA and Wales are the joint second favourites in the Group B odds at 9/2 with Iran the 10/1 outsiders.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🆚🇺🇸@WayneRooney won his 120th and final cap in our last meeting with the USA – a 3-0 victory for the #ThreeLions! pic.twitter.com/lj08KrfthO

— England (@England) April 1, 2022

If they make it to the last-16 stage, England cannot face one of the other countries ranked in the world’s top seven at that point so they will take on hosts Qatar, the Netherlands, Senegal or Ecuador.

If England win their group, they will meet the runners-up from Group A on December 4 while finishing second would see the Three Lions play the Group A winners on December 3.

Looking further down the line at a possible route to the final, France or Argentina are their most likely opponents in the quarter-finals.

England World Cup odds

Betting is available on which stage England’s World Cup hopes will be ended if they fail to go all the way for the first time since 1966.

A quarter-final exit leads the way at 5/2 and defeat in the round of 16 is 9/4 in the England World Cup odds.

England lost in the World Cup semi-final four years ago and are 5/1 to suffer the same fate again while defeat in the final, just as they experienced at Euro 2020, can be backed at 15/2.

The draw looks to be a kind one for England but pessimistic punters can tip them to be eliminated in the group stage at 11/2.

England lost on penalties in the final of Euro 2020 and it is a familiar failure for the Three Lions.

Shoot-out defeats have been a regular occurrence for England, most famously at Italia 90 and Euro 96, and another loss by that method is available at 5/1 in the England World Cup odds.

On a more positive note, another of the England World Cup betting specials is 66/1 for Southgate’s side to win the World Cup, Harry Kane to be the top scorer and hosts Qatar to qualify from their group.

View the latest World Cup odds

All odds and markets correct as of date of publication