Southgate shuts down potential England boycott of Qatar 2022

Gareth Southgate says that England will not boycott the Qatar 2022 World Cup later this year, with the manager stating that he is unsure what any such move would achieve on a "complicated" matter.

The Three Lions booked their place at the end-of-year tournament last November, and will arrive among the favourites, likely to be among the top seeds when the draw is made next month.

But the tournament has seen widespread criticism in relation to corruption and human rights abuse allegations - but while Southgate admits that the matters are not to be overlooked, he does not intend for his side to stay home in protest.

"I don't really know what that achieves," Southgate stated. "It would be a big story, but the tournament would go ahead.

"The fact, unfortunately, is the biggest issue, which is non-religious and non-cultural, is what happened with the building of the stadiums and there is nothing we can do about that either, sadly.

"We have known for eight years that this is going to be in Qatar. Is the stance against Qatar as a country? We are intertwined, as we are seeing with Russia, with all sorts of investment in this country.

"This is complicated. The issues themselves aren't complicated; all the repercussions of diplomatic relations and dealing with other countries and other organisations are extremely complicated."

One rival England will not have to contend with in Qatar is Euro 2020 winners Italy, who edged the Three Lions in a penalty shootout last summer at Wembley to claim the title.

For the second successive World Cup, the Azzurri will be absent after a playoff loss to North Macedonia, and Southgate admitted he had been caught surprised by their defeat, adding: "It was a big surprise. I think qualifying always is