Essential Football

World Cup preview: What are England and Wales’ true hopes? Will this be Southgate’s swansong? Plus why Doha is still a ‘work in progress’

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Episode notes

The Sky Sports World Cup podcast is here!


In the first edition, host Ron Walker is joined by Sky Sports News’ trio Rob Dorsett, Melissa Reddy and Geraint Hughes for all the latest on the build-up to the tournament, from inside the Wales and England camps and on the ground in Qatar.


What is the minimum expectation for England, and could this be Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions swansong? Is it too superstitious to read into squad numbers? The back three vs back four debate returns, plus whether the team adapt to the sweltering heat of Qatar.


What is life like on the ground in Doha? Why does it still feel like there’s work to be done five days before kick-off in Qatar, and is everyone on top of each other? Plus the most important question – what’s the food like?


From a Wales perspective, how much does beating England make or break their World Cup? Who are Rob Page’s top three hopes of success and who could be their wildcard? And how well does Geraint know the fan favourite Yma o Hyd ahead of Monday’s opener with the USA…