Jun 26, 2026 – 12.01pmWhen AFR Weekend profiled former Wallabies forward Ben Darwin in 2017 he created quite a stir by advising England’s football team to burn its £100 million training facility to the ground if they ever wanted to win the World Cup.Since then, they’ve come closer, losing in a semi-final and quarter-final. But Darwin hasn’t changed his view that the nation that gave the world football is ill-equipped to win its greatest prize.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles