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England is playing Senegal in their last 16 encounter on Sunday evening. Four years ago the English lost in the semifinal stage to Croatia before also losing a third-place match against Belgium.
But last summer they almost took the first EURO title for England, only losing to Italy at Wembley in the final match. However, it was another improvement for England national team since Gareth Southgate took the helm as the manager. Southgate brought in some younger players who are having a great season and developed into the stars of the game.
Players like Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, and other younger players are going to feature for England in years to come.
Plenty of them will also make some financial benefits depending on how England produces in the knockout stage of the Qatar tournament.
If the team wins the World Cup, the FA will make available bonuses of up to £400,000 for every player. That amount is not final as there are also endorsement deals in place that would rise that eventual money pot divided by players. The team has a deal in place with the FA for bonuses that are paid when the team passes each round of the World Cup. The first bonus was taken care of when the team won its group next to the United States, Iran, and Wales.
Senegal is the first opponent in the knockout stage
England passed the group, but some pundits didn’t understand some of the tactical and player management decisions Gareth Southgate took, especially in a game against the US when he didn’t play Phil Foden at all.
Those mistakes cannot happen in the next stage of the tournament when the prize is ultimate, winning the title. Every mistake could be costly, especially when it comes to selecting a team.
Senegal will be England’s next test, and it’s hardly relevant for players to think about the potential prize money when the biggest football glory is at hand, winning the World Cup. This is only the beginning of the playoff stage of the tournament, and there is a long way to the end.
The bonuses that the team will take from the World Cup pale in comparison to what the players earn with their clubs. So, it’s highly doubtful that any of the players will think about the money aspect of winning the World Cup title.
Not to mention what would it mean for current England players to win the title in terms of marketability. It was in 1966 when England won their first and only big international title, and it was the World Cup. Last year they were close to winning the European Championship title, but the team feels that now is their time to take the glory.
If England gets past Senegal, France is waiting in the last eight. Of course, France needs to beat Poland first. France is the current World champions, and even though they had plenty of injury problems, they are still one of the favorites for the title, especially with Kylian Mbappe playing terrific football.
Thinking even further than France, if England manages to get into the semis, they would face someone from the quartet of Morocco, Spain, Switzerland, or Portugal.
The road to the final is slippery, and Gareth Southgate’s men will need to take one step at a time to reach the ultimate goal.
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