The draw for the 2026 World Cup, to be held in Canada, Mexico and the United States, is on Friday. Thomas Tuchel's teams will learn their fate for the 23rd World Cup, to be held in Canada, Mexico and the United States, on Friday night at 5 p.m.

The worst possible outcome for Tuchel's teams in the Washington draw is a group with Uruguay, Scotland and Ghana. The trio are in the second, third and fourth groups, respectively.

Uruguay is a difficult team to play against and has several players in its ranks who play for big clubs in Europe. And of course they have plenty of talent and strength...

The added pressure that a derby against Scotland would bring would be unwelcome for the "Three Lions".

The question now is: Can England deliver when it matters most? They have a wealth of talent at their disposal (from start to finish) - including players such as forward Harry Kane, attacking midfielder Jude Bellingham and winger Bukayo Saka. With that in mind, anything less than qualifying not just for the second round but at least for the semi-finals will be considered a failure...

Of course, everyone acknowledges that England have rarely excelled at major tournaments. And of course they have never (at least until now) managed to repeat the triumph of 1966 or even reach a final, let alone lift the coveted trophy.

The current England team, we all have to admit, is a talented team. It has great depth, but it needs to prove its worth against top opponents, for example the Spanish national team. How could they possibly face their skilled footballers, who when they have the ball at their feet, it's hard for anyone to take it away from them? Then the true strength of the current England national team will be revealed...