On Saturday, England will play France, the World Cup champions from 2018 in the 2022 Qatar Quarter-Finals. This will be the Three Lions’ biggest test of the tournament thus far. With the exception of their scoreless group stage tie with the United States, Gareth Southgate’s side have controlled every game they’ have played in Qatar.
In their run to the Quarter-Finals, England have scored 12 goals while only allowing two. On Saturday, the English stars, more especially, Kyle Walker, must thwart Kylian Mbappe, the talismanic forward for France.
Five goals into this World Cup, the 23-year-old Paris Saint-Germainattacker is the clear frontrunner for Golden Boot award. His side, Les Blues, defeated Poland, 3-1, in the Round of 16 matchup, thanks to a dominant performance.
What would happenif England lose to France in theQatar 2022 Quarter-Finals?
Quite simply, ifthe English national soccer team suffera defeat, they would be knocked out of the tournament in the Quarter-Finals and France would move on to the next round.For the World Cup, the Knockout Round consists of one-game playoffs.
Therefore, there is no opportunity to win the series by taking game two. There is no room for a mistakein this win-or-go-home approach. For England to advance to the Semi-Finals where they wouldface one ofMorocco or Portugal, Harry Kane and his teammates must win in regular time, after extra time, or triumph ina penalty series.