England World Cup draw 2022: Group B results with USA, matches, fixtures, star players, squad and coach

04-01-2022
10 min read
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Having reached the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup and then the final of Euro 2020 — only to lose painfully on penalties to Italy — England will be determined to go one better in Qatar and finally win their first major trophy since 1966. 

Gareth Southgate has some very exciting young players at his disposal — not least the likes of Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka — combined with a handful of experienced stars, who now possess significant tournament experience.

It’s now a question of whether they can get over the line.

MORE WORLD CUP 2022:
Full draw results | TV schedule | Latest news

Following the draw, the Three Lions' chances of progression at least beyond the first phase look good, having been handed what many will consider to be one of the easier pools.

England World Cup draw Group B

England fans will be happy with the draw in Group B, as they prepare to face Iran, the USA and either Scotland/Ukraine or Wales.

Scotland and Ukraine are still awaiting confirmation of when their postponed playoff fixture will take place, but Wales will be waiting for whoever comes through that.

Both British sides would love a chance to take down England and make their mark.

Iran offer a different test: they qualified as group winners in their Asian qualifying section, and are growing in stature year by year.

England start as strongly fancied to win Group B, but they will face tough tests against all three other countries. The battle for progression in this group could potentially go to the final matchday.

World Cup Group B table & fixtures

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
B1: England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B2: Iran 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B3: USA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B4: WAL/UKR/SCO* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

* = Winner of European playoff (Wales vs. Ukraine/Scotland)

Group B match schedule

Date Match Time (ET) Stadium
Mon, Nov. 21 England vs. Iran 8 a.m. Khalifa Int'l Stadium
Mon, Nov. 21 USA vs. WAL/UKR/SCO 2 p.m. Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
Fri, Nov. 25 WAL/UKR/SCO vs. Iran 5 a.m. Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
Fri, Nov. 25 England vs. USA 2 p.m. Al Bayt Stadium
Tues, Nov. 29 WAL/UKR/SCO vs. England 2 p.m. Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium
Tues, Nov. 29 Iran vs. USA 2 p.m. Al Thumama Stadium

MORE: How does the World Cup draw work?

England All-Time World Cup Groups

Year 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place 4th Place
2018 Belgium  England Tunisia  Panama
2014 Costa Rica Uruguay Italy England
2010 USA England Slovenia Algeria
2006 England Sweden Paraguay Trinidad and Tobago
2002 Sweden England Argentina Nigeria
1998 Romania England Columbia Tunisia 
1990 England Rep. Ireland Netherlands Egypt
1986 Morocco England Poland Portugal
1982 England France Czechoslovakia Kuwait
1970 Brazil England Romania  Czechoslovakia
1966 England Uruguay  Mexico  France
1962 Hungary England  Argentina Bulgaria
1958 Brazil Soviet Union England Austria
1954 England Switzerland Italy Belgium
1950 Spain England  Chile  USA

England World Cup snapshot

  • Current FIFA World Ranking: No. 5 (March 2022)
  • World Cup titles: 1
  • World Cup appearances (last): 15 (Russia 2018)
  • How qualified: UEFA Group I winners
  • WCQ record W-L-D (Goals Scored/Allowed): 8-0-2 (39/3)
  • Record 2022 W-L-D (Goals Scored/Allowed): 2-0-0 (5/1)

England FIFA World Cup 2022 preview

England's squad boasts an enviable breadth of talent, with exciting youngsters alongside a host of established stars reaching their prime.

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Star players include Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling, but the youth can easily steal the show as Phil Foden, Mason Mount, Bukayo Saka, to name a few, have already demonstrated.

  • Star Players: Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden
  • Players to Watch: Jude Bellingham, Reece James, Jadon Sancho
  • Players to play in WCQs: 34
  • Players in Top 5 Euro leagues (% of WCQ pool): 100%

MORE: Teams qualified to 2022 World Cup

England Squad

The unconventional November-December placement for the World Cup may work in favor of an England squad where the vast majority ply their trade in the Premier League — the full-on nature of the competition having been cited as a factor in fatigued players underperforming at major tournaments prior to the Southgate era.

This could be considered a golden age, with plenty of English fans disagreeing on their favored starting lineups.

Regular starting XI (formation: 4-3-3):

Pickford (GK) — James, Maguire, Stones, Chilwell — Rice, Phillips, Mount — Foden, Kane, Sterling

Strengths:

  • Strong starting XI
  • Very well rounded squad with great depth
  • Great depth of young talent

Weaknesses:

  • Not much depth at center back
  • Lack of experience
Name Position Age  Club Apps/Goals
Jordan Pickford GK 28 Everton 43/0
Nick Pope GK 29 Burnley 8/0
Aaron Ramsdale GK 23 Arsenal 1/0
Reece James RB 22 Chelsea 10/0
Kyle Walker RB 31 Manchester City 65/0
John Stones CB 27 Manchester City 55/3
Harry Maguire CB 29 Manchester United 42/7
Tyrone Mings CB 29 Aston Villa 17/2
Conor Coady CB 29 Wolves 9/1
Luke Shaw LB 26 Manchester United 21/1
Ben Chilwell LB 25 Chelsea 17/1
Kalvin Phillips CM 26 Leeds United 19/0
Declan Rice CM 23 West Ham United 29/2
Mason Mount CM 23 Chelsea 27/4
Jude Bellingham CM 18 Borussia Dortmund 11/0
Jordan Henderson CM 31 Liverpool 69/2
James Ward-Prowse CM 27 Southampton 10/2
Bukayo Saka RW 20 Arsenal 14/4
Phil Foden RW 21 Manchester City 15/2
Raheem Sterling LW 27 Manchester City 74/19
Jack Grealish LW 26 Manchester City 20/1
Dominic Calvert-Lewin ST 25 Everton 11/4
Harry Kane ST 28 Tottenham 69/48

Who is England's head coach?

Former England player Gareth Southgate has been in charge since 2016 and has helped bring the team back into contention, following a lean period for the country.

Guiding the nation to a World Cup semi-final and Euros final, he's had to overcome some criticism to win over hearts and minds. But there will be a sharper focus on his elite credentials this time around.

He has his sights set on going one step further in Qatar — can Southgate finally bring football "home"?

  • Manager: Gareth Southgate (England)
  • Date hired: Sept. 27, 2021
  • Record as national team manager (W-L-D): 46-10-14
  • Major achievements since hire: World Cup 2018 Semi-Final, Euro 2021 Final
  • Notable victories: 2-0 vs Sweden World Cup 2018, 2-1 vs Denmark Euro 2021 Semi-Final, 2-0 vs Germany Euro 2021

England's World Cup qualifying results 

England negotiated a fairly straightforward group, but came through any tough tests with flying colors.

England hit lowly San Marino for 10 in their final game, but also managed big wins over Andorra, Albania and Hungary. Captain Harry Kane bagged 12 total goals.

Date  Opponent H/A Result  Score
25/03/21 San Marino H Win 5-0
28/03/21 Albania  A Win 2-0
31/03/21 Poland H Win 2-1
02/09/21 Hungary A Win 4-0
05/09/21 Andorra H Win 4-0
08/09/21 Poland A Draw 1-1
09/10/21 Andorra A Win 5-0
12/10/21 Hungary H Draw 1-1
12/11/21 Albania  H Win 5-0
15/11/21 San Marino A Win  10-0

England's World Cup Qualifying Leaders

Category Leader Total
Goals Harry Kane 12
Assists  Phil Foden 4
Appearances John Stones 9
Minutes John Stones 662