Harry Maguire: England now believe World Cup triumph possible

Harry Maguire says England's players feel like they have "got to win this tournament" in Qatar – a sea change in the group’s mentality from the last World Cup.

Gareth Southgate’s men are preparing for a crunch quarter-final against reigning champions France on Saturday at Al Bayt Stadium, where the winner will return for the semi-finals.

Portugal or Morocco would await at the stage England reached in Russia four years ago, having surpassed expectations during a remarkable run that ended in an extra-time defeat to Croatia.

Southgate’s side kicked on from that disappointment by reaching last year’s European Championship final and Maguire believes they can go one step further in Qatar.

Asked if it is difficult not to lie in bed and think what it would feel like to lift the World Cup, he said: "Probably, yes.

"I think that’s the one thing I’d say that’s a lot different from the 2018 squad to this squad – I think we really believe that it is possible.

"I played in 2018 and we got to the semi-final and I think a lot of the lads were happy. You were happy to be part of the semi-final.

"You know that whatever happened in that semi-final that you’d go home and be classed as a hero and everyone would be patting you on the back.

"I think now there’s a belief that we’ve got to win this tournament. It is a good change in the mentality.

"Of course, we know how tough it is going to be. I think there are probably five or six teams with the same belief.

"But in 2018, we probably weren’t one of those teams that had that belief. Now there’s five or six who have that belief and we’re one of them."

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