England

England, the Three Lions, are the inventors of the modern game and home to its most-watched league, carrying immense expectation and the fervent hope of ending decades of near-misses. A talented young generation has restored optimism that football may finally be 'coming home.'

England's solitary World Cup triumph came on home soil in 1966, when Geoff Hurst's hat-trick beat West Germany in the final at Wembley — still the defining moment of English football. Decades of heartbreak followed, including a fourth-place finish at Italia '90 and painful penalty-shootout exits. Under Gareth Southgate, England reached the semifinals in 2018 and the quarterfinals in 2022, their most consistent run in generations, sustaining belief that a second world title is within reach.