Optimistic England fans were hoping for third time lucky as Gareth Southgate's side made their bid in Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Three Lions had come up short in their last two major tournament appearances, with a semifinal loss to Croatia at Russia 2018 and penalty shootout heartbreak against Italy at home in the Euro 2020 final last year.
Their build-up to the Qatar showpiece was far from ideal, after they were relegated in September from the top tier of the UEFA Nations League. But despite that frustration, there was a sense that England still had the capacity to break through a mental barrier under Southgate, having constructed an unbeaten qualifying campaign to reach the World Cup.
The Three Lions ultimately made light work of their group in Qatar and headed into the knockout stages eager to make a real impact. But then, that familiar feeling struck.
The Sporting News looks back at their campaign.
MORE: England all-time top scorers list: Where does Harry Kane rank?
England 2022 World Cup schedule
England kicked off Group B with an emphatic 6-2 win over Iran. As the top seed in the group, England started their campaign with arguably their easiest fixture.
And they struggled to hit those same heights in their second match with the USA. Outplayed for long stretches, in the end it was a good point, from a 0-0 draw, for Southgate's men.
The Three Lions then rediscovered their roar in front of goal against Wales as they claimed a convincing 3-0 win that saw them top Group B.
African giants Senegal awaited in the Round of 16 on December 4 after they beat Ecuador 2-1 in their final group match to narrowly claim second spot in Group A. And England made light work of that challenge also, dispatching of the Lions of Teranga with ease, 3-0.
Reigning champions France awaited on December 10, as two old enemies met in the quarterfinal.
And it was the reigning champions, France, who reached the 2022 FIFA World Cup semifinals in a compelling game decided by Olivier Giroud's close-range header and Harry Kane's penalty miss at the Al Bayt Stadium.
Kane blazed a penalty over the crossbar six minutes from time to ensure England would not level for a second time, after the Tottenham striker had matched Wayne Rooney's record of 53 goals for England to draw his side level in the second half.
MORE: England Squad World Cup 2022: Players who missed out on Gareth Southgate's selections for Qatar
Group B match schedule
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Mon, Nov. 21 | England 6 Iran 2 | Highlights | Khalifa International Stadium |
| Fri, Nov. 25 | England 0 USA 0 | Highlights | Al Bayt Stadium |
| Tues, Nov. 29 | England 3 Wales 0 | Highlights | Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium |
Knockout round schedule because England finished 1st in Group B
| Date | Stage | Match | Stadium |
| Sun, Dec. 4 | Round of 16 | England 3 Senegal 0 | Al Bayt Stadium |
| Sat, Dec. 10 | Quarterfinals | England 1 France 2 | Al Bayt Stadium |
World Cup Group B betting odds
The pre-tournament betting odds for England and other Group B sides in the major global territories are below (odds via BetMGM for U.S., Sky Bet for U.K., Sports Interaction for Canada and Ladbrokes for Australia).
| Team | To win group |
|---|---|
| England | -350 (US) 2/5 (UK) 1.32 (CAN) 1.36 (AU) |
| USA | +550 (US) 5/1 (UK) 6.36 (CAN) 6.00 (AU) |
| Wales | +600 (US) 11/2 (UK) 6.75 (CAN) 6.00 (AU) |
| Iran | +1800 (US) 14/1 (UK) 16 (CAN) 15.00 (AU) |
| Team | To qualify |
| England | -2500 (US) 1/12 (UK) 1.05 (CAN) 1.10 (AU) |
| USA | +100 (US) 11/10 (UK) 2.02 (CAN) 2.00 (AU) |
| Wales | +120 (US) 5/4 (UK) 2.12 (CAN) 2.00 (AU) |
| Iran | +275 (US) 11/4 (UK) 5.23 (CAN) 3.50 (AU) |
| Team | To win World Cup |
| England | +800 (US) 7/1 (UK) 5.80 (CAN) 8.00 (AU) |
| USA | +10000 (US) 100/1 (UK) 90 (CAN) 101 (AU) |
| Wales | +15000 (US) 150/1 (UK) 119 (CAN) 151 (AU) |
| Iran | +50000 (US) 250/1 (UK) 301 (CAN) 501 (AU) |
World Cup Group B standings
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1: England Q | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 2 | +7 |
| B2: USA Q | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | +1 |
| B3: Iran | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | -3 |
| B4: Wales | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | -5 |
How to watch the World Cup
Here's how to watch the World Cup action in the major global territories:
| Territory | TV | Streaming |
| US | FOX/FS1/Telemundo (Spanish)/Universo (Spanish) | fuboTV, Fox Sports app, Telemundo En Vivo |
| Canada | TSN | TSN GO |
| UK | BBC/ITV/STV | BBC iPlayer, ITVX, STV Player |
| Australia | SBS | SBS On Demand |
| India | Sports18 | Voot TV |
Qatar World Cup game times
Qatar resides in the Arabian Standard Time Zone, which is GMT +3.World Cup 2022 kickoff times in the major global territories are:
Group stage:
- 1:00 p.m. (local) / 5:00 a.m. (ET) / 10:00 a.m. (GMT) / 9:00 p.m. (AEDT) / 3:30 p.m. (IST)
- 4:00 p.m. (local) / 8:00 a.m. (ET) / 1:00 p.m. (GMT) / 12:00 a.m. (AEDT) / 6:30 p.m. (IST)
- 7:00 p.m. (local) / 11:00 a.m. (ET) / 4:00 p.m. (GMT) / 3:00 a.m. (AEDT) / 9:30 p.m. (IST)
- 10:00 p.m. (local) / 2:00 p.m. (ET) / 7:00 p.m. (GMT) / 6:00 a.m. (AEDT) / 12:30 a.m. (IST)
Knockout stage (ET):
- 6:00 p.m. (local) / 10:00 a.m. (ET) / 3:00 p.m. (GMT) / 2:00 a.m. (AEDT) / 8:30 p.m. (IST) (Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Third Place Match, Final)
- 10:00 p.m. (local) / 2:00 p.m. (ET) / 7:00 p.m. (GMT) / 6:00 a.m. (AEDT) / 12:30 a.m. (IST) (Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals)
