Ollie Watkins believes his chances of making England’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will improve if he maintains his prolific scoring form.
The Aston Villa forward was a surprise omission from the Three Lions squad for March’s international friendly games against Uruguay and Japan, but is hoping to play his way back into contention for the final cut for the World Cup.
Watkins continued his goalscoring form with his 100th goal across all competitions for Villa in their 4-0 rout of Italian side Bologna on Thursday night, sealing a 7-1 aggregate result to advance to the semifinals of the competition.
The goal also made him Aston Villa’s outright topscorer in European competitions with 10, surpassing Peter Withe and John McGinn.
“Keep scoring goals!”, Watkins said.
“That’s all I can do. I was disappointed to not be in the previous squad but I can understand his reasons. I will have to do my talking on the pitch.”
Aston Villa advanced to the last four of the Europa League with a 7-1 aggregate win over Bologna.
Watkins opened the scoring, before Morgan Rogers was then denied from the penalty spot.
Emiliano Buendia added a second, before Rogers made amends for his earlier miss with their third of the encounter.
Ezri Konsa rounded off scoring in the 89th minute to seal a 4-0 win on the night and progress to the next round.
“It’s a milestone every striker wants to hit. The next is 100 Premier League goals, that’s what I have my eyes on”, Watkins added.
“It’s an exciting time for me personally and the team. We have everyone fit and are playing our best football.
“We’ve got it all to play for. If someone said we would be fighting for Champions League and in the semi-final of the European competition, I would’ve bit their hand off!”, he concluded.
Aston Villa will now face Nottingham Forest in the semifinals of the Europa League, with the first leg set to hold later this month.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
