World Cup stories: How the 2018 tournament changed England forever

This is nothing new, with the vast talent English football produces, the Three Lions will always be in the mix, but for the first time, certainly in my lifetime, it’s a real possibility.

The first international tournament I can properly remember is Euro 2004 in Portugal, and that England squad was peak ‘Golden Generation’. However, their time was cut short with a penalty shootout defeat to the hosts in the quarter-finals.

Constant disappointment has continued with every passing major tournament, and England's morale was at an all-time low in 2016 when England were humiliated in the round of 16 by Iceland at that year’s European Championship in France.

The England national team was in tatters, and shortly after, the FA was rocked by a scandal involving manager Sam Allardyce, who resigned after just one match in charge.

Under-21s coach Gareth Southgate was brought in to stabilise the ship, albeit on an interim basis, and an underwhelming feeling was felt amongst the England fanbase.

Southgate brings much needed stability to chaotic England

Southgate, at the time, was known more for his penalty miss at Euro 96 and then being a figure of fun on a Pizza Hut advert. He wasn’t someone who got the juices flowing, but considering the chaos the FA and England were embroiled in, something boring was needed.

The qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup was nothing fancy, with Wembley paper aeroplanes being a constant talking point, and the tournament in Russia soon came around.

After a poor showing at Euro 2016, expectations were low for England. Coupled with a company style manager in Southgate, the squad did not jump off the page.

There were standout talents such as Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford included, but with the likes of Fabian Delph, Jordan Henderson and Eric Dier also on the plane, there was no pre-World Cup buzz.

A Kane stoppage-time winner against Tunisia, and a 6-1 thrashing of Panama, landed a place in the knockout stage before a defeat to powerhouse Belgium ended the group stage on a whimper.

The match which changed everything for England

The knockout stages, usually the quarter-finals, is where England come unstuck and with Colombia awaiting in the round of 16, there was a real sense of dread despite star player James Rodriguez out of the game due to injury.

England took the lead through a Harry Kane penalty in the second half, but any hopes of a stress-free knockout game vanished in added time with a Yerry Mina header.

Was it going to happen again? England navigated a tense 30 minutes of extra time before the inevitable penalty shootout, a method of victory which has left everlasting scar tissue on the Three Lions.

Then came the watershed moment, despite Henderson missing England’s third, Southgate’s team held firm, and won a penalty shootout. Delirious scenes at Moscow’s Otkritie Arena were supported by endless videos of flying pints and English limbs in unnatural positions.

England conquering a tournament penalty shoot-out to many was all that was needed to be optimistic about the team’s chances of lifting the World Cup for the first time since 1966.

The players were fast becoming cult heroes, Harry Maguire especially, with him becoming the subject of a chant about the size of his head and two certain alcoholic drinks. Meanwhile, manager Southgate was becoming a fashion icon, his M&S waistcoat becoming the summer’s must-have piece of clothing.

This penalty shoot-out win was redemption for the England national team, and Southgate, whose name was being serenaded to Atomic Kitten’s “Whole Again”.

Why England heartbreak benefitted changed Three Lions forever

A comfortable 2-0 win in the quarters against Sweden set up a semi-final with the durable Croatia, and there was disbelief of seeing England in the last four of a major tournament for the first time since 1996.

English hearts, however, were broken once more on that night in Moscow. Despite taking the lead through a Kieran Trippier free kick in the fifth minute, Croatia levelled the score in the second half before the red-hot Mario Mandzukic scored the winner in extra time.

The unlikely dream for England was over, but this World Cup run has laid the foundations for a Three Lions team which no longer fears the latter stages of tournaments.

• Read next | World Cup stories: Germany humble hosts on way to Samba triumph

For such a long time, England, despite having the talent, shrank when it’s time to deliver, but 2018 and Russia broke the glass ceiling.

Southgate’s style of football was not the most pleasing to watch, but it was a representation of his character. Someone who likes control, and he managed that off the pitch with all the hysteria and pressure that comes with being the England manager.

He also made the Three Lions a team players wanted to be a part of, a departure from the toxic camps prior to which often got rocked by scandals and player cliques.

England have since made regular runs to the latter stages of tournaments, which include two European Championship finals, and heading towards the 2026 World Cup, the team now needs to make the next step, and win something.

If Thomas Tuchel and his squad do indeed lift the World Cup in New Jersey on July 19, it will end the never-ending years of hurt, but without 2018 and Southgate’s reset, England would not be the quietly confident side who embrace tournaments rather than arrive in fear.

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