Spain, France Or England? The Favourites For The 2026 World Cup

Their exciting, attacking, possession-based style of play saw them deservedly lift the trophy and has made them one of the favourites heading into the World Cup.

Their form during World Cup qualification saw them win five of their six matches, only dropping points in a draw against Turkey in Seville on the final matchday. Since then, they have played two friendlies against Serbia and Egypt, winning one and drawing one.

However, the March international break was a strange one for many nations, with several players dropping out and teams not having full preparation time. Spain now prepare for the World Cup with fixtures against Iraq and Peru before getting their campaign underway against Cape Verde in Atlanta, Georgia, on the 15th of June.

France

The second favourites heading into the World Cup, per similar sites to football betting at 7bet, are 2022 finalists and 2018 winners France, managed by Didier Deschamps, which will surely be his final spell as France coach. Like Spain, they were relatively solid during qualification, winning five of their six matches, only being held to a 2-2 draw by Iceland in Reykjavik.

Since then, they have played friendlies in the United States as they prepare for a World Cup hosted across North America, earning victories over both Brazil and Colombia. Their squad is filled with star talent, including Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Désiré Doué, and Rayan Cherki, just to name a few. There is plenty of talent throughout the squad, but it will be about finding the right balance.

However, France have the experience and know-how to reach finals, having done so in each of the previous two World Cups. Their preparations continue with fixtures against the Ivory Coast and Northern Ireland before they head to New Jersey to face Senegal in their opening World Cup match.

England

For Thomas Tuchel and England, it was a very impressive qualification campaign, as they did exactly what was expected of them.

From eight matches, having played two more than France and Spain due to not being involved in the Nations League playoff finals, England won all eight games in a group featuring Albania, Serbia, Latvia, and Andorra. They scored 22 goals and did not concede once in the process. At the end of the day, you can only beat the sides put in front of you. Just look at Italy, who have failed to qualify for the last three World Cups. England, however, did their job professionally and efficiently.

Their latest set of friendlies against Uruguay and Japan were probably a little frustrating for Tuchel, especially with England failing to win either match. However, the squad was also missing several players who will likely feature at the World Cup, including Declan Rice, Reece James, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Adam Wharton, and Bukayo Saka through ‘injury’.

England now prepare for the World Cup with fixtures against New Zealand and Costa Rica in the United States before their opener against Croatia on the 17th of June.

The Three Lions come into the tournament as third favourites, having reached back-to-back European Championship finals. However, their last World Cup outing in Qatar ended in defeat to France in a match many England supporters still feel they should have won. Since then, Gareth Southgate has departed, with serial winner Thomas Tuchel brought in as his replacement.

The big question now is whether he can handle the pressure that comes with managing England at a World Cup. Only time will tell.