England facing Latin American adventure?published at 12:31 BST
12:31 BST
Panama v England (Sat, 22:00 BST)
Image source, Getty Images
Putting England’s right-back quandary to one side, should the Three Lions top their group then we are now pretty certain they will be placed in the same half of the draw as some of Central and South America’s finest.
We already know that Ecuador are a potential opponent for the last 32.
This is a side that finished second in South America’s qualification table to make it to the 2026 World Cup, behind only Argentina, and qualified for the knockout stages by beating Germany in their last group match.
Further challenges await Thomas Tuchel’s side should they make it past the likes of Ecuador.
A potential last-16 tie against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City is a mouth-watering prospect.
And if the rest of the remaining ties follow Fifa’s world rankings then England could face five-time winners Brazil in the quarter-finals and defending champions Argentina in the last four.
Oh, and if they get through all of that, Opta suggests either France or Spain would lie in wait in the final!
Maybe it is best to stick to the footballing mantra of one match at a time?