Optimistic England fans will be hoping for third time lucky as Gareth Southgate’s side launch their bid in Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Three Lions have come up short in their last two major tournament appearances, with a semifinal loss to Croatia at Russia 2018 and penalty shootout heartbreak against Italy in the Euro 2020 final last year.
Their build-up to the Qatar showpiece was far from ideal, after they were relegated in September from the top tier of the UEFA Nations League. But despite that frustration, there is a sense that England do still have the capacity to break through a mental barrier under Southgate, having constructed an unbeaten qualifying campaign to reach the World Cup.
Group B has been viewed with cautious optimism by Southgate and his squad, with star players Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling looking to fire them into the knockout stages, and beyond.
MORE: England all-time top scorers list: Where does Harry Kane rank?
England 2022 World Cup schedule
England kicked off Group B with an emphatic 6-2 win over Iran. As the top seed in the group, England started their campaign with arguably their easiest fixture.
And they struggled to hit those same heights in their second match with the USA. Outplayed for long stretches, in the end it was a good point, from a 0-0 draw, for Southgate’s men.
Now a ‘Battle of Britain’ with Wales will decide England’s fate as potential group winners.
MORE: England Squad World Cup 2022: Players who missed out on Gareth Southgate’s selections for Qatar
Group B match schedule
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Mon, Nov. 21 | England 6 Iran 2 | Highlights | Khalifa International Stadium |
| Fri, Nov. 25 | England 0 USA 0 | Highlights | Al Bayt Stadium |
| Tues, Nov. 29 | England vs. Wales | 2:00 p.m. | Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium |
Potential knockout round schedule — if England finishes 1st in Group B
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Sun, Dec. 4 | Round of 16 | 2:00 p.m. | Al Bayt Stadium |
| Sat, Dec. 10 | Quarterfinals | 2:00 p.m. | Al Bayt Stadium |
| Wed, Dec. 14 | Semifinals | 2:00 p.m. | Al Bayt Stadium |
| Sat, Dec. 17* | Third Place Match | 10:00 a.m. | Khalifa International Stadium |
| Sun, Dec. 18 | Final | 10:00 a.m. | Lusail Stadium |
*Only in event of defeat in semifinals
Potential knockout schedule — if England finishes 2nd in Group B
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Sat, Dec. 3 | Round of 16 | 10:00 a.m. | Khalifa International Stadium |
| Fri, Dec. 9 | Quarterfinals | 2:00 p.m. | Lusail Stadium |
| Tue, Dec. 13 | Semifinals | 2:00 p.m. | Lusail Stadium |
| Sat, Dec. 17* | Third Place Match | 10:00 a.m. | Khalifa International Stadium |
| Sun, Dec. 18 | Final | 10:00 a.m. | Lusail Stadium |
*Only in event of defeat in semifinals
England World Cup group: Group B
England were drawn as top seeds in Group B alongside the U.S., Wales and Iran. As a Pot 1 team, England are viewed by bookmakers as the most likely to at least progress from the pool. However, the group-stage draw presented three tricky ties, particularly based on their rivalry with Wales and the previous history against the United States.
In their last six World Cup appearances, England have only bowed out at the group stage once, with an average finish of the quarterfinals.
Can they go even further this year?
World Cup Group B betting odds
The pre-tournament betting odds for England and other Group B sides in the major global territories are below (odds via BetMGM for U.S., Sky Bet for U.K., Sports Interaction for Canada and Ladbrokes for Australia).
| Team | To win group |
|---|---|
| England | -350 (US) 2/5 (UK) 1.32 (CAN) 1.36 (AU) |
| USA | +550 (US) 5/1 (UK) 6.36 (CAN) 6.00 (AU) |
| Wales | +600 (US) 11/2 (UK) 6.75 (CAN) 6.00 (AU) |
| Iran | +1800 (US) 14/1 (UK) 16 (CAN) 15.00 (AU) |
| Team | To qualify |
| England | -2500 (US) 1/12 (UK) 1.05 (CAN) 1.10 (AU) |
| USA | +100 (US) 11/10 (UK) 2.02 (CAN) 2.00 (AU) |
| Wales | +120 (US) 5/4 (UK) 2.12 (CAN) 2.00 (AU) |
| Iran | +275 (US) 11/4 (UK) 5.23 (CAN) 3.50 (AU) |
| Team | To win World Cup |
| England | +800 (US) 7/1 (UK) 5.80 (CAN) 8.00 (AU) |
| USA | +10000 (US) 100/1 (UK) 90 (CAN) 101 (AU) |
| Wales | +15000 (US) 150/1 (UK) 119 (CAN) 151 (AU) |
| Iran | +50000 (US) 250/1 (UK) 301 (CAN) 501 (AU) |
World Cup Group B standings
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1: England | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 |
| B2: Iran | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | -2 |
| B3: USA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| B4: Wales | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 |
When is England vs Wales at World Cup 2022?
- Date: Tuesday, November 29, 2022 (Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium)
- Time: 10:00 p.m. (local) / 2:00 p.m. (ET) / 7:00 p.m. (GMT) / 6:00 a.m. (Wednesday, 30 Nov. AEDT)
England wrap up their Group B campaign with a huge clash against rivals Wales.
This game could potentially eliminate one of the two sides from the World Cup, and crown the other as group winners, although results elsewhere in the other game between USA and Iran — played at the same time — are likely to have a major impact on the final standings.
How to watch the World Cup
Here’s how to watch the World Cup action in the major global territories:
| Territory | TV | Streaming |
| US | FOX/FS1/Telemundo (Spanish)/Universo (Spanish) | fuboTV, Fox Sports app, Telemundo En Vivo |
| Canada | TSN | TSN GO |
| UK | BBC/ITV/STV | BBC iPlayer, ITVX, STV Player |
| Australia | SBS | SBS On Demand |
| India | Sports18 | Voot TV |
Qatar World Cup game times
Qatar resides in the Arabian Standard Time Zone, which is GMT +3.World Cup 2022 kickoff times in the major global territories are:
Group stage:
- 1:00 p.m. (local) / 5:00 a.m. (ET) / 10:00 a.m. (GMT) / 9:00 p.m. (AEDT) / 3:30 p.m. (IST)
- 4:00 p.m. (local) / 8:00 a.m. (ET) / 1:00 p.m. (GMT) / 12:00 a.m. (AEDT) / 6:30 p.m. (IST)
- 7:00 p.m. (local) / 11:00 a.m. (ET) / 4:00 p.m. (GMT) / 3:00 a.m. (AEDT) / 9:30 p.m. (IST)
- 10:00 p.m. (local) / 2:00 p.m. (ET) / 7:00 p.m. (GMT) / 6:00 a.m. (AEDT) / 12:30 a.m. (IST)
Knockout stage (ET):
- 6:00 p.m. (local) / 10:00 a.m. (ET) / 3:00 p.m. (GMT) / 2:00 a.m. (AEDT) / 8:30 p.m. (IST) (Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Third Place Match, Final)
- 10:00 p.m. (local) / 2:00 p.m. (ET) / 7:00 p.m. (GMT) / 6:00 a.m. (AEDT) / 12:30 a.m. (IST) (Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals)