Key Highlights
- England faces Croatia in their opening match of the 2025 World Cup.
- Scotland’s group includes Brazil and Morocco, who they lost to in 1998.
- The potential matchups for England and Scotland in the knockout rounds are discussed.
- Analysis on how Tuchel might use the extra time before their first match.
Plotting England’s Route Through the World Cup
With the 2025 FIFA World Cup draw finally complete, fans of both England and Scotland can start planning their journey to glory. For England, it looks like a straightforward path with potentially tougher games coming later in the tournament. Meanwhile, Scotland face a group that includes Brazil and Morocco, teams they previously lost to at the 1998 World Cup.
England’s Group and Challenges
The Three Lions draw their first match against Croatia on paper, which should be challenging given their last meeting in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals. However, England has since won all three subsequent encounters, with Raheem Sterling scoring a crucial goal for them during Euro 2020.
Next up is Ghana, who are currently ranked 72nd in the world and have struggled recently, finishing second at the Concacaf Gold Cup despite their high ranking. England’s final group game will be against Panama, whom they thrashed 6-1 in 2018.
Despite Panama’s recent success, an upset is unlikely.
Coach Thomas Tuchel has extra time to prepare his squad between the end of the domestic season and their opening match, with no games scheduled on the west coast of North America. This gives him a strategic advantage as he can fit in two friendlies before the tournament kicks off.
Scotland’s Group and Early Tests
Scotland’s path is even more challenging from the outset, facing Brazil and Morocco in their group. With this combination, they need to secure a win against Haiti on 13 June if they are to have any chance of advancing. The last time Scotland faced Haiti was back in 2016 at the Concacaf Gold Cup, where they won comfortably.
Tackling Brazil and Morocco early will be crucial for Scotland’s prospects.
If Steve Clarke’s men can secure a win or even a draw against Haiti, it could set them up nicely for their group stage encounters with these higher-ranked teams. Despite the potential difficulty, Scotland have shown resilience in recent years, making significant achievements such as qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
Knockout Rounds and Beyond
If England manages to secure top spot in Group A, they will face a third-place team from one of several groups. The most likely opponents could include Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde, Senegal, Norway, Austria, Algeria, Uzbekistan or the winner of the DR Congo play-off path. This would present a winnable tie for England but no one wants to meet Erling Haaland’s Norway.
For Scotland, if they can advance past the group stage, their potential opponents in the last 16 include Germany or France.
The quarter-finals could see them facing Argentina or Portugal. The semi-final and final stages are even more speculative due to the unpredictable nature of the knockout rounds, but both teams will need to perform at their best if they hope to progress further.
Regardless of how the tournament unfolds, it promises to be an exciting and challenging journey for both England and Scotland as they aim to make history on the world’s biggest stage.
