Could this be the most open World Cup in recent years, and how will this affect England’s chances?

I know what you're thinking, this isn't Newcastle United related. However with the World Cup being on I felt as though I had to write about it, and discuss how it has started.

The World Cup in Russia may only have started less than a week ago, but the Greatest Tournament on Earth has already provided just as many shocks in the opening five days, as some previous tournaments managed in a whole month of football.

Having consumed as much of it as I possibly could in these past few days, I can safely say that no team has shone or stood out above the rest. The closest to do this so far, would most probably be Spain, but even they were held to a thrilling 3-3 draw by the magnificence of Cristiano Ronaldo, although against Iran, they were far from that level. Of course, it must be conceded that the group stage hasn’t actually finished yet, and many of the teams may not be showing their full potential yet. Despite this though, it must be noted that the vast majority of the so-called ‘big teams’ at this World Cup, who you would expect to hit the ground running, have not been exceptional for prolonged periods in matches. Some, including France, Argentina, Germany and Brazil, have been far from their best, and in their opening games have not lived up to expectation. The French were certainly lucky to pick up a win against the Australians, but Argentina really didn’t deserve more than the point they picked up against minnows Iceland. The reigning champions were convincingly beaten by a spirited Mexico side, and the Brazilians did not see out what looked at one point to be a comfortable victory against the Swiss. To describe them as disappointing, I believe, would be an understatement. However, if anything it is good for the game. Yes, we all want to see the biggest names on the planet really showing what they can do, but with that comes the same few teams doing well every four years. Although this may be exciting at times, it is repetitive, and this year that seems (for now at least) like that may be changing, and the World Cup be actually be showcasing the ‘world of football’, and not just parts of Europe and South America. Surely, as a spectacle, that is a good thing.

So, with the big-hitters supposedly not firing on all cylinders, could this year finally be the year where ‘football comes home’? My short and simple answer is ‘maybe’, because this is football we’re talking about, nothing is guaranteed. Of course the win against Tunisia on Monday night was fantastic and will hopefully set the ball rolling, but even before that, I believe that this is perhaps the most confident I’ve felt about the chances of an England team in my lifetime. About four weeks ago this was not the case though, as I strongly believed that Newcastle midfielder Jonjo Shelvey really did deserve a place in the squad. I thought the squad lacked creativity and I was certainly quite pessimistic. Since then however, having looked at the squad in detail and assessing each individual player, my confidence slowly grew. I’ll admit, the idea of winning the tournament was still a far-fetched fantasy, but I was optimistic about how far we could get. I certainly believed, and still do believe as I’m writing this after the Tunisia match, that we can win a knockout match for the first time in 12 years, and maybe even win two! But it is the fact that I am even saying these things, shows the optimism and belief I have in this team, more than I have done for years.

Perhaps that optimism highlights how far the England team has come even in the last two years since our horrific exit from Euro 2016 at the hands of Iceland. That shambolic display has quickly been forgotten and now the team looks ready to take on the world once again. Gareth Southgate looks like he knows what he is doing and has found a system that works, and we have one of the best strikers in the world in Harry Kane leading the attack. It will all come down to whether they can cope with the pressure of the biggest stage of all, but should this World Cup stay as open as it currently is, you never know, football may just come home.