The two nations Gareth Southgate has never beat as England manager
Gareth Southgate has been in the England hot seat since 2016 and has only failed to beat two nations during that time.
The Three Lions have made significant strides forward under Southgate, but the pressure to get over the line and win some silverware is apparent heading into Euro 2024.
Even Southgate himself has admitted that if England don’t win the Euros, he’ll likely walk away from the job at the end of the tournament.
“If we don’t win, I probably won’t be here any more,” he told the German media. “So maybe it is the last chance. I think around half the national coaches leave after a tournament — that’s the nature of international football.
“I’ve been here almost eight years now and we’ve come close. You can’t constantly put yourself in front of the public and say, ‘A little more please’, as at some point people lose faith. If we want to be a great team and I want to be a top coach, you must deliver in big moments.”
Southgate’s track record against big nations has come under scrutiny at times but during his tenure as England boss, he’s only failed to beat two nations that he’s faced.
Brazil
Southgate has faced Brazil in two international friendlies and has failed to win either of them.
The first game, held in November 2017, ended goalless and the second game, held earlier this year, saw Brazil come out on top.
Despite both sides having their fair share of chances, Endrick managed to deliver the decisive moment for Brazil as he scored the winning goal with just 10 minutes to play.
“The difference in the game was one moment. That is the ruthlessness of football at this level,” Southgate told reporters after the match.
With England looking unlikely to play Brazil any time soon, it looks as if this record will be set in stone for the foreseeable future.
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France
The only other nation that Southgate has faced as England boss and has failed to beat is France. Since taking the England job, Southgate has come up against Didier Deschamps’ side on two occasions and has lost both matches.
Back in 2017, France hosted England in an international friendly and ran out as 3-2 winners after an enthralling back-and-forth game. Harry Kane scored twice, but that still wasn’t enough to avoid defeat.
However, it’s fair to say that the second loss against France was particularly more painful. The Three Lions gave a decent account of themselves on the night but still came up short in the 2022 World Cup.
Had Kane buried his second penalty, who knows what would have happened, but it just wasn’t meant to be.
If England want to go all the way in Euro 2024, there’s a very strong possibility that they’ll have to get past France along the way.
Southgate’s failed on his first two attempts against them, but could it be third time lucky in Germany this summer?