The biggest competition in world football is al almost upon us, with the 2022 FIFA World Cup kicking off in Qatar this week.
Host nation Qatar face Ecuador in the opening game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Sunday, November 20 at 4pm GMT, with England kickstarting their campaign the following day against Iran. England boss Gareth Southgate announced his 26-man squad for the World Cup last week, with the likes of Reece James, Ivan Toney, Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham all missing out.
England have been one of the best-performing sides in major competitions over the last four years, with Southgate leading the Three Lions to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and the 2020 Euros final in that time. Now, England will be hoping to go one better and win the World Cup for the first time since 1966.
England enter the tournament in poor form though, with the Three Lions winless in their last six which saw them finish bottom of their UEFA Nations League group. But, can Southgate turn their fortunes around for the World Cup?
How far will England go, who could be the surprise package and who will win the trophy? We simulated the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Football Manager 2023 to find out.
We simulated the 2022 FIFA World Cup
To create this simulation, we used Football Manager 2023, updating the England squad with the correct roster. We then simulated the entire tournament, and this is what happened.
2022 FIFA World Cup Group Stages
England couldn't have asked for a better result in their first game in Group B, with Southgate's side beating Iran by an incredible 9-2 scoreline. It was a shock result in a way, with nine goals an incredible feat for a World Cup clash.
Harry Kane scored a hat trick as he started the World Cup in perfect form, whilst braces from Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden as well as goals from Ben White and Jack Grealish secured the fantastic victory.
But, the mood quickly changed as England failed to get on the scoresheet in a surprise 1-0 defeat to USA. Leeds United's Brenden Aaronson scored the only goal of the game which was later crowned the goal of the tournament in the simulation.
Despite the scare, England secured their spot in the World Cup knockout stages, with a second-half strike from Bukayo Saka securing a 1-0 win over rivals Wales.
After the three group stage games, England advanced out of Group B in second place, behind USA who shocked the world by topping the group. The Stars and Stripes only scored three goals as they picked up two wins and a point, finishing the group one point ahead of England.
Wales finished in third on three points after beating Iran and losing against England and USA, whilst Iran finished in fourth, picking up just one point in a 1-1 draw against USA. As England finished second, it meant Southgate's side would face the winners of Group A in the Round of 16, Holland.
Round of 16: England vs Holland
Starting XI (5-2-3): Pickford; Trippier; Walker, Dier, Stones, Shaw; Bellingham, Rice; Sterling, Kane, Foden.
It was an extremely tight contest between England and the Netherlands, but a first-half strike from Phil Foden secured a narrow 1-0 win, sending England through to the World Cup Quarter-finals. Holland managed more shots and had more possession than England, with the Three Lions defending bravely to advance in the competition.
Jordan Pickford was awarded the Player of the Match with a rating of 8.3 in the Round of 16 clash, with the 'keeper making seven saves in the 90 minutes. After the win, England had arguably an even tougher test in the quarter-finals, facing South American champions, Argentina.
Quarter-finals: England vs Argentina
Starting XI (5-2-3): Pickford; Alexander-Arnold; Stones, Dier, Maguire, Shaw; Phillips, Rice; Foden, Kane, Grealish.
Up against one of the favourites in the competition, it was a close contest again between the two sides. But, an early Eric Dier goal was all that separated England and Argentina as the Three Lions marched on.
Dier headed home Trent Alexander-Arnold's corner 11 minutes in to put England ahead, but despite the full-back being sent off in the second half, Southgate's side held on to keep a clean sheet and end Lionel Messi's World Cup dreams.
Semi-finals: England vs Switzerland
Starting XI (5-2-3): Pickford; Trippier; Stones, Dier, Maguire, Shaw; Bellingham, Rice; Saka, Kane, Grealish.
England were up against Switzerland in the semi-final, and they entered the game knowing whoever won would face France in the World Cup final - the same situation for the Three Lions as in 2018. Switzerland had been the surprise package of the competition, and they continued to surprise the world as they raced into a 2-0 lead against England in the opening 28 minutes.
Kane scored his first goal of the knockout stages in the 38th minute to halve the deficit, but Southgate's side couldn't muster a comeback as they suffered heartbreak at the same point as the 2018 World Cup.
Third place playoff: England 4-0 Portugal
Starting XI (5-2-3): Ramsdale; Walker, White, Stones, Maguire, Trippier; Phillips, Bellingham; Foden, Kane, Rashford.
To see who finished third, England faced Portugal after they lost 2-0 to France in the other semi-final. A much-changed England side dismantled Portugal with ease, however, and the Three Lions ended the competition on a high, winning 4-0.
Kane scored either side of Sake in the first half, and a late Marcus Rashford penalty secured the win to claim third place. Kane's two goals took him to six goals, the second-best out of every player as Kylian Mbappe claimed the golden boot with nine goals.
In the FM23 World Cup Final, France beat Switzerland to become World Champions.
Overall, FM23 predicts that England could feel deja vu in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with the simulation seeing the Three Lions knocked out of the competition in the semi-finals as France won their second consecutive World Cup trophy. It's no disappointment to go that far in football's biggest tournament, but it could be a tough one to take for England fans if they fell at the penultimate hurdle again.
