England boss Thomas Tuchel says the Three Lions are not favourites for the 2026 World Cup but believes they can still dream of lifting the trophy.
Thomas Tuchel has insisted England are not the favourites to win the 2026 World Cup, but the Three Lions manager believes his squad has every reason to dream of lifting football’s biggest prize this summer.
Despite being ranked among the leading contenders by bookmakers, Tuchel feels England’s long wait for major international success makes it difficult to place them ahead of traditional powerhouses. The nation’s only World Cup triumph remains the victory achieved back in 1966.
Speaking ahead of England’s final warm-up match against Costa Rica in Florida, the German coach explained why he believes other nations deserve the favourites tag heading into the tournament.
“We’re not the top favourites,” Tuchel said. “We can’t be because we haven’t won it for so many years. There are proven winners in the tournament with more success in recent competitions, and those teams deserve to be considered favourites.”
Tuchel compared England’s situation to a player arriving at Wimbledon without ever having won the tournament. While such a player may not be the favourite, they are still capable of going all the way and claiming the title.
The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager stressed that England’s objective remains to compete for the trophy, but he warned against looking too far ahead. Instead, he wants his players focused on the immediate challenges in front of them.
Tuchel believes tournament football is won by taking one step at a time. Drawing on his experience from multiple Champions League campaigns, he said teams should concentrate on progressing through each stage rather than becoming distracted by thoughts of the final.
According to the England boss, reaching the quarter-finals can completely change a team’s outlook. Once a nation gets into the last eight, belief grows stronger and a genuine path to the trophy begins to emerge.
England begin their World Cup campaign on June 17 in Dallas against Croatia, a repeat of the 2018 World Cup semi-final. While Tuchel refuses to label his side as favourites, he remains confident in the talent and mentality within the squad.
“We all have belief,” he said. “We all have a dream. It comes with responsibility, hard work and discipline, but we dare to dream, and that is important.”
