England manager Gareth Southgate has said his players will be "disappointed" if they don't make it to the World Cup final after their recent tournament achievements.
Southgate, who took over in 2016, is set for his third major tournament with the national team. He led the Three Lions to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia before reaching the final of Euro 2020, where his team lost to Italy at Wembley.
The 52-year-old is set to name his squad for the upcoming tournament in Qatar, with England due to face Iran, the United States and Wales in the group stage. A match against holders France could await as early as the quarter-finals, but Southgate has spoken of his squad's experience and what it might mean.
"England historically don't respond well to pressure and expectation," Southgate told Italian publication La Repubblica. "But now with the team we know, they know they're capable.
"They've been to a semi-final, they've been to a final. So, for the team, they'll be disappointed with less."
In Southgate's first tournament, England overcame Colombia and Sweden in their first two knockout games before falling to Croatia after extra-time. At the last Euros, meanwhile, they defeated Germany, Ukraine and Denmark, only to suffer a penalty shoot-out defeat against Italy in the final.
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England qualified for the World Cup after avoiding defeat in all 10 of their qualifying games, scoring 39 goals and conceding just three. They will begin their finals campaign against Iran on November 21 before facing the US on November 25 and Wales on November 29.
Despite the impressive qualifying campaign, England's tournament preparations have brought a string of poor results in the UEFA Nations League. Southgate's team won none of their six group games in the competition, suffering relegation after finishing fourth in their group behind Italy, Hungary and Germany.
That run of three points from six games prompted suggestions the England manager might be prepared to walk away from his job after the World Cup. However, the former Middlesbrough boss poured cold water on that suggestion shortly after the September international break.
"The England part of my journey as a player and manager has probably been the greatest highlight and the greatest honour for me,” Southgate said in early October after being inducted into the football legends Hall of Fame. “I’m hoping this isn’t the end of it…I’m hoping there’s a few more years ahead.
“I still feel I’ve got a lot of improving to do and hopefully a lot of years ahead. But of course, there’s a lot in the next couple of months that we want to achieve as a start. Beyond that, I’m assuming life will continue and there are a lot of challenges ahead."
