Roy Keane shared why he thinks England might have a tough time at the World Cup and also named three teams he believes are favorites.
Roy Keane has shared why he thinks England might have a tough time at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and also named who he believes will win the tournament.
Thomas Tuchel’s team is currently in Florida getting ready by playing warm-up games against New Zealand and Costa Rica. England will kick off their World Cup journey on June 17 by facing Croatia in Group L, followed by matches against Ghana and Panama.
With the talented squad they have, the Three Lions are expected to make it to the knockout rounds. This World Cup will have a round of 32 because the format now includes 48 teams. If England tops their group, they could play against one of the best third-placed teams from other groups, which might be easier opponents like Cape Verde or Saudi Arabia—but they could also face a strong team like Norway, with stars like Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard.
After that, England might go up against teams like Mexico, South Africa, or South Korea in the round of 16. If they keep winning, they could meet Brazil in the quarter-finals, and possibly Argentina or Portugal in the semi-finals. The final on July 19 could see England facing France or Spain.
Of course, this is all just a guess. Former Republic of Ireland player and World Cup expert Keane feels England might struggle against the biggest teams. Talking to The Sun, he said that France, Spain, and Argentina are his favorites to win.
He said, “The French have a fantastic squad. Spain, with the conditions there and how well they played at the Euros, could be very strong if they keep it up. And Argentina is always a big threat at World Cups.”
Keane also expressed worry about England’s defense. “I’m concerned about England’s defense,” he said. “In the knockout stages, when facing top teams, that could be a problem. They have Harry Kane, who’s a great player, so they always have a chance, but defensively they might fall short.”
Here’s the list of players in Tuchel’s squad:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Man City).
Defenders: Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), John Stones (Man City), Marc Guehi (Man City), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Nico O’Reilly (Man City), Djed Spence (Tottenham), Tino Livramento (Newcastle).
Midfielders: Declan Rice (Arsenal), Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Kobbie Mainoo (Man Utd), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal).
Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Ivan Toney (Al Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Noni Madueke (Arsenal).
It’ll be exciting to see how England does, but Keane’s thoughts make it clear that the big teams will be tough to beat!