Wayne Rooney, the former Manchester United and England captain, has identified England as one of the three leading contenders to win the 2026 World Cup in the United States. The Three Lions are among the bookmakers' favorites following a string of strong performances under previous manager Sir Gareth Southgate.
England's Recent Tournament Success
Under Southgate, England reached back-to-back European Championship finals, losing to Italy on penalties in 2021 and narrowly falling to Spain in 2024. They also advanced deep in two World Cups, reaching the semifinals in 2018 and the quarterfinals in 2022.
Now under the guidance of Thomas Tuchel, many pundits believe England can go one step further and win the World Cup for the first time in 60 years.
Rooney's Favourites
Speaking to BBC Sport, Rooney said: "I think you have to look at Spain, France and England. I think they’re probably favourites for this World Cup. I think England and Spain will make the final, and hopefully England win it."
France reached the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, losing to Argentina on penalties. Spain enter the tournament as reigning European champions after beating England in the 2024 final.
Other Pundits' Views
Former England defender Conor Coady also expressed confidence in England's chances, citing their world-class striker. He added: "I truly believe England have a real chance. We have the best striker in the world in my opinion... My other team is Germany, I think they have a very good manager in Julian Nagelsmann. My dark horse is Senegal."
However, former Arsenal and Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud does not view England among the top two strongest teams. He said: "For me the two strongest teams are France and Spain. But will they meet each other in the final or before? That will be the question. One of the African teams can be the surprise team. Maybe Ivory Coast, Senegal or Ghana."
England's World Cup Campaign
England begin their World Cup journey against Croatia on Wednesday night, followed by group matches against Ghana and Panama. Argentina are the defending champions after beating France in the 2022 final.
