World Cup 2026: England can dare to dream but are not big favourites, says Thomas Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel believes England have every reason to dream of World Cup glory, but the German manager is not ready to make his side favorites for the 2026 tournament.
With England among the front-runners with the bookies, expectations are once again focused on the team that has reached the latter stages of recent major tournaments. Still, Tuchel feels the country’s 60-year wait for a second World Cup title makes it difficult to justify the popular brand.
Speaking in Florida ahead of England’s final warm-up game against Costa Rica, Tuchel pointed to the weight of history and the presence of more established winners in the field.
“We’re not top favourites. We can’t be because we haven’t won it for so many years,” Tuchel said.
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“There are proven winners in the tournament with more success in recent tournaments. So these are the favorites and we are competing for the trophy.”
To make his point, Tuchel turned to tennis. He compared England’s World Cup ambitions to a player arriving at Wimbledon without first lifting the trophy.
“It’s like going to Wimbledon and you’ve never won it, you’re not the favourite. But of course you can win it and we want to win it,” he said.
“But we know what it means and it also requires calm thinking and focus on our steps.
The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager will lead the national team at the World Cup for the first time. However, he believes years of going through Champions League knockout campaigns have given him a clear understanding of tournament football and the importance of focusing solely on the next challenge.
Rather than a potential semi-final or final, Tuchel wants England to focus on progressing through the group stage before focusing on what comes next.
“It’s my opinion and my belief that once you get to the quarter-finals, you can go all the way,” he said.
“I think it’s important not to try to spend this whole tournament in one piece and focus on what we can influence. At the moment it’s a training camp and then we’ll take care of the group stage.
“Make sure you go through your group and don’t get distracted by overthinking.”
England open their campaign on June 17 in Dallas against Croatia, a rematch of the 2018 World Cup semi-final that ended in disappointment for the Three Lions.
Despite his reluctance to label England as favourites, Tuchel insisted there is no lack of belief in the squad.
“I believe. We all do,” he said.
“We all have a dream, but it comes with responsibility and hard work, commitment and discipline, and sometimes it comes with disappointment and failure.
“It’s all included, but we dare to dream and it’s important.”
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
10 Jun 2026 10:49 IST