Is Thomas Tuchel right to label England "underdogs" at the 2026 World Cup?
Who are the prime contenders for the trophy next summer?
England manager Thomas Tuchel will have raised a few eyebrows by insisting that his side will be one of the “underdogs” at the 2026 World Cup next summer.
The Three Lions haven’t lifted the trophy since all the way back in 1966, but there has been significant progress made with the national side in recent tournaments.
Tuchel’s predecessor Gareth Southgate did a great job to take England up a level, with his team reaching the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, and then the finals of both Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, though all those games ultimately ended in defeat.
With Tuchel now replacing Southgate, the mission for the German tactician will be clear - take England that step further and win a major tournament.
So what are the odds on football coming home at long last? Here’s our best effort at ranking the top five contenders for the 2026 World Cup…
5) Germany
This is maybe not the best Germany side of recent years, but you can never rule them out. With top class players like Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Kai Havertz and Joshua Kimmich, this is still a team that can pose anyone in the world problems. And how many times before have we seen the German national team being slightly underrated before a tournament, only to then go on and blow everyone else away?
4) England
Realistically, fourth favourites feels about right for England, simply for their lack of experience of winning major tournaments, rather than based on talent alone. So while Tuchel’s men are hardly underdogs, they’ll need to be at their very best and enjoy the odd slice of luck here and there in order to get past some of the other big names you’d expect to be in the mix for the trophy.
3) Argentina
Can the current holders win it again? In what is surely likely to be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup, they will surely be one to watch again, even if there are probably other teams with stronger squads overall. Still, Messi almost single-handedly dragged them over the line in 2022 and even if he’s not at his peak any longer, he’s still good enough to do it again.
2) France
Argentina may have Messi, but France have Kylian Mbappe, who is on fire for Real Madrid right now and who will want revenge after somehow being denied the trophy last time round even when he became only the second ever player to score a hat-tick in a World Cup final. Les Bleus also have other elite talents like Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and William Saliba, so are sure to be a force to be reckoned with again.
1) Spain
Winners of the last Euros, Spain probably have the best team on the planet right now, and we’re tipping them to go all the way at the 2026 World Cup. They’ve had to undergo a bit of a rebuilding process since that dominant era of 2008-2012, but there’s a new star-studded generation now containing the likes of Lamine Yamal and Pedri who can surely bring home this trophy for a second time.
Who would you make the favourites for the 2026 World Cup? Can England go all the way or is Tuchel right to be cautious? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!