Qatar World Cup 2022: Last competitive England & France match was 10 years ago - what was the starting XI?
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England are gearing up to play France in the quarter-finals of the 2022 Qatar World Cup. If Gareth Southgate’s side progress, it will be the third major tournament in a row where they have made at least the semi-final.
But, France are the current world champions and have a plethora of talent in their arsenal. Much of the talk in the buildup to the game has been centred around Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe.
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Hide AdThe forward, who broke the record for a transfer fee paid for a teenager back in 2017 has been one of the standout players at the World Cup so far. He currently tops the goalscoring charts on five.
England has every right to go toe-to-toe with France. They finished top of their group on seven points and have not yet lost in the tournament. The Three Lions’ group was statistically the hardest in Qatar, but they emerged unbeaten.
France isn’t a nation England faces regularly. Since the turn of the century, the two nations have played each other seven times, with only two of those being competitive matches. The last competitive match came over 10 years ago in the Euros , with the sides drawing 1-1.
And, just days before the World Cup clash, we look at the England team that played that day.
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Hide AdGK: Joe Hart - Celtic
Hart was a mainstay in net for years, and after the 2012 Euros he was the first choice goalkeeper at the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Euros. He now plys his trade in Scotland and made his last appearance for England in 2017.
DEF: Glen Johnson - Retired
Glen Johnson was a fullback, playing for the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool. He retired at Stoke in 2018 and racked up 54 caps for England, with his last coming in 2014.
DEF: John Terry - Retired
Terry won virtually all there was to win when he was a player, and was part of that infamous Jose Mourinho side that dominated the Premier League. In his final season at Chelsea in 2017, he became the first ever player to captain a team to the Premier League title on five occasions.
DEF: Joleon Lescott - Retired
Lescott retired in 2017 after a grand total of two appearances at his last club, Sunderland. He only made 26 appearances for England, the last of which came in 2013.
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Hide AdDEF: Ashley Cole - Retired
An invincible winner at Arsenal, followed by a glorious, trophy laden stint at Chelsea. He retired at Derby in 2019, and made 107 appearances for his country.
MID: James Milner - Liverpool
Only the second player so far to not be retired, Milner recently made his 600th appearance, a feat not achieved by many. He’s won wherever he’s gone, and his versatility has made him a great asset over the years.