 Their fourth place finish in the 1986 was their best placement in their World Cup history, until 2018 when they finished third after beating England (2-0) in Saint Petersburg.The group stage used in the first World Cup was discarded in favour of a straight knockout tournament.According to journalist Henry Guldemont, some of his Swiss colleagues regarded the 1954 Belgian team as "favourites for the world title" after a promising 4–4 opener against England.