World Cup 2018 England verdict: Gareth Southgate has history on his side but faces familiar foes in Belgium

It had seemed like a draw of death before it even started, with Diego Maradona in his yellow bow tie, controlling our destiny in his fat fingers. 

'Diego has always been good with his hands,' was how presenter Gary Lineker put it to him and few know that better after the infamy of 1986. 

The far safer hands of Gordon Banks were only looking after the sequence of fixtures – more was the pity.

England manager Gareth Southgate watched his side's favourable  2018 World Cup draw

England manager Gareth Southgate watched his side's favourable 2018 World Cup draw

But with all the usual caveats about England's capacity to implode and lose to teams 'with more volcanoes than professional footballers' as Lineker described Iceland, it felt like a slice of dreamland for Gareth Southgate, with Belgium, Tunisia and Panama in their group.


From an historical perspective, it really could not have been better – given that on only one occasion since records began have any of the three actually beaten England: Belgium, in a friendly on May 9, 1936, when it went 3-2 to the home side in Rotterdam.

The side now managed by Roberto Martinez are a little more challenging than they were back then, needless to say – fifth in the world rankings and undefeated in 15 games since a 2-0 friendly defeat to Spain came hot on the heels of the European Championship elimination to Chris Coleman's Wales. 

England will play Roberto Martinez's Belgium side in the last game of the group stage 

England will play Roberto Martinez's Belgium side in the last game of the group stage 

Martinez knows more than enough about England too, of course, and players like Eden Hazard, Kevin de Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois are hardly the stuff of dreams for an opposition manager.

But it looked like it could have been substantially worse as England were facing the prospect of Germany as their Pot 1 opponents, with three balls left to draw.

Remember, Martinez was hardly known for his defensive rigour at Everton, and in a relatively benign 12 months of matches, his team have conceded three goals to Russia – who are hopeless – and three more to Mexico.

England will face a host of familiar Premier League faces when they line up against Belgium

England will face a host of familiar Premier League faces when they line up against Belgium

There is further encouragement in that both Belgium and Tunisia conjure memories of significant England victories in previous World Cups. 

David Platt saw off Belgium in the 119th minute when the round-of-16 clash went to extra time in Bologna's Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, 27 years ago. 

Alan Shearer and Paul Scholes did the honours against the Tunisians at the group stage at Stade Velodrome, Marseille, in the 1998 group stage. 

It was one of only two games England have played against the African nation. The other one was a 1-1 draw in 1990, though the side have picked up some form, having dipped to 40th in the world as recently as 2015.

The Three Lions will open their 2018 World Cup campaign against Tunisia on June 18 

The Three Lions will open their 2018 World Cup campaign against Tunisia on June 18 

Panama – 56th in the world - are the unknown quantity and both Japan and South Korea, whose names lurked invitingly in the bowls would have been more benign.

England have never played the Panamanians – though the recent 1-1 draw against Wales demonstrated that they, like almost every international side now, are obdurate, tough to break down and fight to the last. 

Their goal in Cardiff came in the third minute of second-half injury time. 

Tournament minnows Panama are drawn in the same group as Southgate's England 

Tournament minnows Panama are drawn in the same group as Southgate's England 

The intensity of the Tunisians will be something else. Martinez has something to a prove to an English nation which fell out of love with him last year. Brazil conceivably lie in wait in the quarter finals.

So yes – there are worries.

But England start their campaign in the city once known as Stalingrad - now renamed Volgograd – where Winston Churchill had a sword created for the people, in recognition of our gratitude for their extraordinary defence against the 6th German Army. 

We have ties that bind us to that place. We know so well that implosion is always distinctly possible, but there are some good omens for those seeking them, between now and next June. 

England have history on their side, losing just once ever against their three group members

England have history on their side, losing just once ever against their three group members

GROUP A

RUSSIA 

SAUDI ARABIA 

EGYPT 

URUGUAY 

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GROUP B

PORTUGAL 

SPAIN 

MOROCCO 

IRAN 

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GROUP C 

FRANCE 

AUSTRALIA 

PERU 

DENMARK 

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GROUP D 

ARGENTINA 

ICELAND 

CROATIA 

NIGERIA 

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GROUP E 

BRAZIL 

SWITZERLAND 

COSTA RICA 

SERBIA 

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GROUP F 

GERMANY 

MEXICO 

SWEDEN 

SOUTH KOREA 

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GROUP G 

BELGIUM 

PANAMA 

TUNISIA 

ENGLAND 

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GROUP H 

POLAND 

SENEGAL 

COLOMBIA 

JAPAN 

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