World Cup 2018: 5 reasons why England can win the title

The World Cup is approaching fast and Russia is preparing to host one of the most eagerly anticipated tournaments in the world. The World Cup brings together several nations from all over the globe, living together, partying together, and watching football together.

The sights and sounds of a World Cup tournament can rarely be matched by any other sport and this is the stage where national heroes are born.

Current champions Germany are hot favourites to win the tournament again. Brazil is also being mentioned on the lips of many fans, but does anyone really consider England as a serious competitor?

With a new generation of players filtered in, this could be the tournament where England finally showed the quality of its players.

Manager Gareth Southgate has admitted that the youngsters in his squad may need a few major international matches to experience what is it like before they seriously compete for international silverware, but inside he must be quietly confident of producing a shock.

Here are five reasons why England can overcome the odds to win the World Cup.

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#1 They have an easy group

Belgium is the only noteworthy opponent for England in Group G

England has been drawn in group G alongside Panama, Tunisia, and Belgium.

The most testing from those fixtures is expected to be Belgium and Southgate will be feeling confident of securing a top two spot to book a place in the knockout rounds of the tournament.

Finishing first in the group will be an obvious target for England and goal difference could be a key factor. Therefore, beating Panama and Tunisia by a significant scoreline would be helpful and would also increase the confidence of the team.

Playing Belgium last in the group fixtures is also good for England because they could already have secured passage into the next round by then, which will then allow the players to play with more freedom.

#2 The first knockout round could be a favourable fixture

England could face Poland or Colombia in the first knockout round

If England makes it through the group stages then in the first round of knockout fixtures they would face the either of the top two sides from Group H which consists of Colombia, Poland, Senegal, and Japan.

England will fancy themselves against all these sides and will expect to progress from that match into the later stages of the tournament.

Poland and Colombia are two sides are tipped to qualify from Group H and they tend to rely on the services of individual players. For Poland, it is Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski whereas, for Colombia, it is James Rodriguez.

#3 Young and confident players playing at the highest level

Players such as Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling would be raring to go at the big stage

England boasts a few of the world's best young talents such as Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling, and John Stones.

These youngsters are consistently performing in the UEFA Champions League for their clubs against some of the best players in the world, so their confidence will be sky high.

In previous years, England has found it hard to overcome the smaller sides and struggled to break them down. However, with the depth of the squad that Southgate has at his disposal, this shouldn't be a problem this time around.

Some players are also working with the best managers in world football at club level, which has helped them to develop every area of their performances.

#4 Harry Kane's form

Harry Kane leads the race for the Premier League golden boot yet again

England has possibly the world's best striker in the world at the moment in Harry Kane.

The forward has it all. Strength, speed, power, and finishing are only some of the attributes of the Tottenham Hotspur forward.

He is expected to be leading the line for England with pacey players out on the wings, which could be perfect for him. Crosses being whipped into the 18-yard box will be met by Kane, who is powerful in the air and has an incredible leap.

It is fair to say that England's opponents will fear to line up against the striker.

#5 Incredible pace in all areas

Kyle Walker and many other England players are known for their searing pace

England has a team filled with pace, from the defenders all the way to the forwards.

Kyle Walker at right-back is one of the fastest players in world football and is accompanied on the wing by fellow club team-mate Raheem Sterling, who is well-known for his pace.

On the other side, there are the likes of Danny Rose and Marcus Rashford. Both players will fancy themselves in a race against the world's best players.

At the heart of the defence is John Stones, who is a typical modern-day ball-playing defender. He is quick to react to through balls and has the pace to keep up with the top strikers.