10 Reasons Why England Can Win World Cup 2018

England have a habit of performing very well in friendlies and then failing to emulate those sorts of performances when it really matters. Tournament football and friendly games are barely comparable, but recent results are still giving hopeful fans a few reasons to be optimistic and have proven that the Three Lions can go toe-to-toe with some of the world's best squads.

In the last six months, England have drawn games against Germany, Brazil and Italy, as well as beating the Netherlands. The latter two teams didn't qualify for the 2018 World Cup, but they're still difficult opponents, and it's encouraging to see England holding their own against some of the footballing world's most historically talented teams.

Germany and Brazil are the two clear favourites to win this summer's competition. In keeping clean sheets against them, England showed that when they put their minds to it, they really can give the bigger teams a game. It won't mean much in a high pressure game like a World Cup semi-final, but at least the players can look back on the friendlies to convince themselves that they have a chance.