‘There’s going to be a moment where England are under the cosh – to win the World Cup, someone is going to have to take the game by the scruff of the neck’ Joe Cole on what England need to do to win the World Cup

Joe Cole 2006 World Cup — Joe Cole during the 2006 World Cup in Germany (Image credit: Getty Images)

As England put together their final preparations for this summer’s World Cup, the same nagging question remains.

Can the Three Lions overcome the all-encompassing weight of expectation and end 60 years of hurt by going all the way and hoisting up the World Cup trophy on July 19?

Not for the first time, England will enter the tournament with a star-packed squad, a world-class manager and as one of the bookies’ favourites. But for former Three Lions star Joe Cole, the tournament will be defined by what happens during the game’s most chaotic moments.

Joe Cole on what England need to do to win the World Cup

Cole, who was a part of England’s 2002 and 2006 campaigns, believes that the team’s ultimate fate will come down to how the side responds to setbacks.

“We’ve got the players, and we’ve got a manager who knows how to win things,” the former West Ham and Chelsea playmaker tells FourFourTwo.

ENFIELD, ENGLAND - MARCH 30: England manager Thomas Tuchel speaks to the media during a press conference at Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre on March 30, 2026 in Enfield, England. (Photo by Bradley Collyer - Pool/Getty Images) — Thomas Tuchel is getting his first taste of international tournament football this summer (Image credit: Getty Images)

“It’s going to come to a point in a game, from maybe the last 16 onwards, where we’re going to be in a difficult moment and the players are going to have to find something.”

Cole only needs to look back to the last tournament four years ago to find an example of back up his claim.

“I liken it to the Argentinians in Qatar, when the Dutch pulled the quarter-final back to 2-2. One of their players smashed the ball into the Dutch bench, and it turned into a melee on the touchline.

“That woke up the Argentinian team and they went on to win. If he hadn’t done that, I think the Netherlands knock them out and France win the World Cup.”

So, by this logic, is the way to get back into a match merely to pelt the ball at the opposition bench?

Joe Cole is a regular on TNT Sports' football coverage — Joe Cole wants to see England's nasty edge (Image credit: Getty Images)

“There’s something you’ve got to feel,” Cole insists. “We’re so polite, we’ve gone full circle.

“The way England play, we’re so measured, the coaching’s amazing, all the players are really good students. But when people are saying: “Jude Bellingham needs to rein it in”, I’ll be saying: “No, you lead the team.”

“There’s going to be a moment where England are under the cosh – to win the World Cup, someone is going to have to take the game by the scruff of the neck.”

Could It Be Coming Home? with Joe Cole and Ashley Cole is brought to you by Carling, official sponsor of the Emirates FA Cup and Adobe Women’s FA Cup. Watch the show on YouTube and Spotify, or listen to it wherever you get your podcasts

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For more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.

With contributions from

Chris FlanaganSenior Staff Writer