World Cup 2022: England beat France in final as Sky Sports readers predict every match in Qatar

It's coming home! That's the verdict of Sky Sports' readers, who have voted England as the winners of the 2022 World Cup.

In an online poll on Thursday in which the public were able to predict the score in every match scheduled to be held in Qatar, Gareth Southgate's side made it all the way to the final at the Lusail Stadium on December 18, where they recorded a 2-1 victory over reigning champions France.

That was despite finishing second in Group B to Wales, who beat England 2-1 in a shock result on matchday three, while the USA and Iran were eliminated.

That meant the Three Lions faced a tricky last-16 encounter with the Netherlands, led by Louis van Gaal. But with Ronald Koeman replacing him after the tournament, the clash with England turned out to be the final game of Van Gaal's time in charge of his country, with Southgate's team seeing off the Dutch with a 2-1 victory to progress into the quarter-finals.

There was no such luck for Wales though, who, in their first World Cup knockout match for 64 years, suffered a 2-1 reverse to African champions Senegal, who had finished as runners-up to the Netherlands in Group A.

Things didn't get any easier for England in the last eight, where they met Argentina in a repeat of their quarter-final in 1986, when Diego Maradona's infamous first goal - scored with his hand - and iconic second - one of the greatest individual strikes of all time - sent the South Americans through.

But, 36 years later, England finally gained revenge, again winning 2-1 to knock out their rivals - and surely end Lionel Messi's hopes of ever winning the World Cup.

Unlike in 2018, when Southgate's squad reached the semi-finals by beating Colombia and Sweden, they found themselves in the final four in Qatar by doing it the hard way. And after wins over giants of international football in the last 16 and quarter-finals, another awaited in the semi-final in the shape of Brazil.

England suffered a heart-breaking extra-time defeat to Croatia at that stage four years ago. But they cleared that hurdle this time, seeing off the pre-tournament favourites Brazil with another 2-1 win - their first victory over the Selecao at a World Cup coming at the fifth attempt.

So onto the final, their first at a World Cup since lifting the trophy for the one and only time in 1966. But the Three Lions had a taste for the big occasion after reaching the Euros final just 18 months earlier and, after a devastating shootout defeat that day, they weren't going to be denied again.

Reigning champions France awaited in the final but they were brushed aside by England, who notched a - you guessed it - 2-1 win to lift the World Cup for the first time in 56 years and surely ensure Gareth Southgate a knighthood once he and his victorious squad returned home.

Spain, Qatar flop | Ronaldo denied

What else did Sky Sports' readers see when they looked into their crystal balls ahead of the World Cup kicking off on Sunday?

Well, clearly not much is thought of hosts Qatar, who exited at the group stage without scoring a goal, while Spain are also predicted to flop. After finishing second in Group E thanks to a defeat to Germany, Luis Enrique's side then suffered a last-16 defeat to Belgium - meaning their most recent knockout win at a World Cup remains their victory in the 2010 final.

Six sides - Argentina, France, Germany, Belgium, Brazil and Portugal - topped their groups after collecting maximum points. Uruguay also made the last 16 after beating Ghana in their final Group H match, with the Africans unable to gain revenge for their defeat in the 2010 quarter-finals, when Luis Suarez prevented their late winner with an infamous handball.

But Suarez and his team-mates are predicted to exit the World Cup in the second round at the hands of Brazil, who then knocked Germany out in the quarter-final.

Brazil were joined in the last four by Portugal, who reached the stage for the first time since 2006 thanks to a 2-1 win over Belgium - surely bringing the curtain down on their opponent's 'Golden Generation'.

France reached the semi-finals after a comfortable win over Senegal - who famously shocked the then-holders in the opening game of the 2002 World Cup - and then made the final for the second time in a row with a 2-1 win over Portugal and likely ended Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup dreams once and for all.