World Cup 2018: Gareth Southgate will net £1.5m bonus if England win the tournament
GARETH SOUTHGATE will bank £1.5MILLION if he leads England to World Cup glory.
And his team would pick up £217,000 a man if they pulled off the unthinkable — just half what Belgium’s stars would earn.
England players could divvy up a £5m kitty with the FA banking £28m in prize money.
Tomorrow’s opponents Belgium will get £400,000 each if they win the tournament.
Southgate’s squad have already shared a £1m bonus for reaching the last 16 with the FA getting £9m in prize money from Fifa.
Meanwhile, Harry Kane looks set to win his fight to play in England’s World Cup clash with Belgium.
Southgate is expected to go against his own better judgment and start the Tottenham striker in the final Group G match, despite the Three Lions having already qualified for the last 16.
Kane, leading the Golden Boot standings with five goals in two matches, is desperate to play in Kaliningrad tomorrow.
But Southgate is having to choose between his own desire to protect his talisman from injury and Kane’s own wishes.
Kane is adamant his desire to play is not down to personal goal-scoring ambitions but that playing every game would maximise his sharpness.
Southgate had been keen to start Jamie Vardy, to give the striker a run-out but is unlikely to switch formation and play two strikers.
He will make up to five changes to the team that thrashed Panama 6-1 on Sunday, with Eric Dier coming in to the midfield.
Danny Rose will replace Ashley Young at left-back, with the Spurs man always Southgate’s preferred starter and having only missed out so far because of a lack of fitness.
Fabian Delph will be involved but flies home on Friday for 48 hours as wife Natalie gives birth.
Kyle Walker and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who are both on a yellow card, could also be rested.
WE'RE RON THE BALL All the latest action, news, goals and gossip from the World Cup
MOST READ IN WORLD CUP 2018
Despite the possibility of England facing a harder path forward if they win their group, Southgate wants to beat Belgium.
But their boss Roberto Martinez will make wholesale changes, with at least eight players who started the 5-2 win over Tunisia left on the bench.
With the teams dead level, a draw would mean the top two places being decided by which side has the fewer yellow cards.
If that is level, Fifa will hold a televised draw to decide first and second.
