Over the next few months, there's going to be a familiar, gnawing, feeling growing inside all England fans: hope.
As the World Cup draws ever closer, England fans will be dusting down their 1966 replica jerseys, remortgaging houses to afford the extortionate accommodation costs, and attempting to balance the hope of ending a 60-year wait for a major tournament win in the men's game with pessimism by means of self-preservation.
England have been here before. So many times. But with the team unbeaten in qualifying, with zero goals conceded, and with Harry Kane and Thomas Tuchel and these bright young players coming through, perhaps this is the time? Perhaps.
England will find out their World Cup pool stage opponents on Friday, in this bloated 48-team tournament. Then the planning can start, and hope will appear again on the shoulders of England fans as the World Cup looms ever closer.
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Why England will win the World Cup
Harry Kane
England men's record scorer is in astonishing form, and showing no signs of slowing down.
At Bayern Munich he became the fastest player this century to reach 100 goals for a team playing in one of the big five leagues (managing it in a frankly ridiculous 104 matches) and with England he has 78 goals in 112 appearances. But, whisper it, the experience at Bayern Munich has arguably made him an even better striker.
He drops deep more often at Bayern, involved in the link-up play more, and it's turned him the complete forward. Surely England won't have the same issues up front as they did two years ago during the Euros.
Strength in depth
The calibre of players who could fail to make England's 26-man squad showcases the incredible depth at Tuchel's disposal.
Take Trent Alexander-Arnold -- his place is by no means secure -- while Conor Gallagher, Harry Maguire, Kobbie Mainoo, Kyle Walker, Trevoh Chalobah, Mason Mount, Ivan Toney and Dominic Solanke are all on the periphery.
If Kane gets injured, then England are in a hole with Ollie Watkins as cover, so you could yet see a bolter emerge like Liam Delap or Danny Welbeck there, but by and large, if you're running through what you expect the first choice XI to look like, then you have able deputies throughout. And they still have Cole Palmer to come back from injury.
Thomas Tuchel factor
When Mark Bullingham, FA chief executive, unveiled Tuchel as England manager, he said they'd appointed someone who "gives us the best possible chance to [win] the next men's World Cup."
Tuchel has already put his stamp on the team, by dropping Jude Bellingham during the World Cup qualifiers, and he is clearly not afraid to duck away from making big calls, nor upsetting some of the bigger names.
Also added in is Tuchel has experience of winning some of the sport's biggest trophies having won the 2021 Champions League with Chelsea.
He is a brilliant tactician and guided England through a perfect qualification stage where they remained unbeaten and didn't concede a single goal. His tenure started with a few bumps (remember the 3-1 defeat to Senegal) but he's getting the best out of the players, has a settled system and is building confidence.
Experience of major tournaments
There's a tonne of big tournament nous in the England ranks. This will be Jordan Pickford's fifth major tournament as No.1 while Kane is England's top-scorer at World Cup and Euros combined.
Run through the spine of the team and you will find players like Bukayo Saka, John Stones, Declan Rice, Jordan Henderson and Marcus Rashford who were part of the team that reached the Euros final in 2021, while Stones, Saka and Rice were also there in 2024.
There are players who know what it takes to reach the final throes of these major tournaments, and that could prove to be invaluable this summer.
Welcome seedings
FIFA's decision to adopt a tennis-style seeding system suits England.
Assuming that each wins their gorup, they will be in separate parts of the draw to Spain, Argentina and France, which suits England as their record against big teams in major tournaments -- especially World Cups -- is dismal.
If they're kept away from some of their biggest rivals for the trophy in the early stages, then it'll give them a chance to build a head of steam into the knockout rounds.
Why England won't win the World Cup
Past tournament demons
When Gareth Southgate got the England job, one of his early priorities was sorting out England's neurosis with the dreaded penalty shootout.
While they made progress there, England's 60-year wait for a major men's trophy gets heavier with every tournament that passes them by.
"We are all so desperate to win, to be leaders, to go out there and give people memories for lifetimes," Rice said during Euro 2024.
"Sometimes I feel like maybe we put too much pressure on ourselves, where we could just go out there and let it just take care of ourselves."
If England are to end the draught, then it'll be down to mental strength as much as tactical acumen.
Strength of other teams
There are a bunch of other genuine contenders. Spain are the favourites and have big tournament pedigree having won the previous Euros, and that was without Pedri. They have Lamine Yamal, last year's Ballon d'Or winner Rodri and just tonnes of talent.
Then there's France who have astonishing strength in depth complete with this year's best player in the world Ousmane Dembélé and Kylian Mbappé, and Brazil under Carlo Ancelotti.
Oh, and then there's Argentina with Lionel Messi in his last hurrah, Germany building under Julian Nagelsmann, Cristiano Ronaldo looking to bow out with a final flourish and there is also the likelihood of a surprise package like Morocco last time around.
In short, this is going to be some ride.
The boiling pot
England have been training in heated tents to replicate next summer's conditions as it is going to be hot, very hot.
England have struggled in the heat in the past -- Qatar in 2022 (where they lost in the quarterfinal stage), failing to get out of their group in Brazil back in 2014 and then crashing out to Brazil in the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan. So that doesn't bode well and the rising temperatures will likely suit their rivals a little more.
Coupled with the players being exhausted, having come off a long, never-ending season (especially those who played in the Club World Cup) and you can see fatigue being a real issue.
The midfield headache
Who does Tuchel opt for in midfield and what does he do with Bellingham? How he handles the Real Madrid superstar will be key come the World Cup and preventing that talk from becoming an unwanted distraction.
Towards the front of the midfield three -- Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Palmer (when fit) and Phil Foden will all have eyes on the No. 10 jersey.
The sitting two in midfield would then be Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice, you expect. Rice is nailed on at No. 8 which leaves the No. 6 role. Anderson isn't a genuine No.6 despite impressing there, and we're yet to see if he can replicate them against world-class opposition.
Adam Wharton and Jordan Henderson could yet challenge there.
England will have to keep the ball well if they are to progress into the latter stages of the tournament and Anderson's role there is king.