The 2022 World Cup in Qatar kicks off on Sunday, 20 November as the hosts take on Ecuador to mark the start of the 22nd edition of the biggest show on earth.
The tournament is expected to be watched by a record five billion viewers from around the world, and is the first in the history of the competition to be played during winter as well as the first ever to be held in the Middle East.
It also happens to be the last of the 32-team tournament format, with every tournament from 2026 onwards increasing to 48 teams.
bet365 has surveyed thousands of football fans from around the world ahead of the forthcoming FIFA World Cup 2022, to find out the most confident fanbases from the world of football ahead of the Qatar showdown.
And the results show that Three Lions fans are confident in their team and manager Gareth Southgate.
When asked how far do you think England will go in the World Cup:
- 94.69% of England fans are confident they will qualify from the groups
- 88.50% are confident England will make it through to the quarter-finals
- 76.11% believe England will make it to the semi-final
- 60.18% believe England will make it to the Final and 47.79% think England will bring it home, winning the 2022 World Cup
England Fans Are Behind Southgate
It’s not been easy going for Gareth Southgate since the disappointment of Euro 2020. However despite the string of six winless games - which has seen them relegated in the Nations League - England fans are standing behind their manager.
The table below shows the top six countries most confident in their manager’s leadership:
| Manager’s leadership | Confident in manager’s leadership | Not confident in manager’s leadership |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 98.82% | 1.18% |
| USA | 97% | 3% |
| Brazil | 94.57% | 5.43% |
| Netherlands | 94.12% | 5.88% |
| England | 92.92% | 7.08% |
| Germany | 92.50% | 7.50% |
Speaking to bet365 about the results, England Legend John Barnes MBE said: “He’s as right as the right man can be. Because obviously when you’re talking Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, maybe give them time, but in terms of what’s available and what we have now, Gareth absolutely is.
“He’s a modern manager who understands international football, whereby these aren’t your players. They are from other clubs, and when you get together you have three or four days to get them to want to play for you.”
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9 in 10 American’s think the USMNT will win the World Cup
Americans were found to be surprisingly confident in their team’s ability to win the World Cup. 89% said they were either confident or very confident that their team will win the Jules Rimet trophy this December.
The USMNT are yet to win a World Cup, unlike their female counterparts in the USWNT. Currently priced at 40/1 to reach the final and 150/1 to win the tournament, it would be some upset for them to do it.
John Barnes MBE commented: “I don’t think they can do it at all, but I know that they think they can do it.
“My sisters live in America, and I grew up in Jamaica - we know Americans. They are very similar to Australians, they have this attitude that they can win everything, so they do better than they should.”
