Former England legend Gary Lineker has weighed in on the 2026 World Cup race, tipping Spain and France to edge ahead of England as the tournament favourites.
Speaking with confidence on The Rest Is Football podcast, the England legend pointed to Spain’s recent dominance as a key factor in his prediction.
Fresh off their Euro 2024 triumph over England and currently sitting atop the FIFA World Rankings, Spain are gathering serious momentum heading into the global showdown.
“The World Cup is getting very close now,” Lineker said.
“I know Spain are actually the bookies’ favourites, closely followed by England, France, Argentina and Brazil. I think they’re the big five.
“France have got a hell of a squad, haven’t they? They have an amazing squad, but I’m going to go with Spain.
“I think they could do a repeat of what they did a decade or so ago and win consecutive tournaments. I mean, they’ve got some players, Spain.
“I think Spain have to be the team to beat, Obviously, we’d all love England to win. Portugal could be a decent outside bet as well.
“They will have to control the narrative around [Cristiano] Ronaldo and manage his minutes and see if he accepts that. That will be important for them.
“But they have got some cracking players. I think it’s a good outside bet, Portugal. Also, don’t rule out Argentina and even Brazil.
“But I’m going with Spain. England are definitely one of the frontrunners but I think Spain have to be favourites ahead of us, personally I think France too.
“I think in recent tournaments, the English team has progressed sufficiently to have a chance of winning it. But I can’t remember any of us actually predicting England to win a tournament for a while.”
As the countdown intensifies, Lineker’s picks reflect a blend of current form and tournament pedigree.
While England remain firmly in the mix, Spain’s rhythm and France’s squad depth appear to give them the edge heading into what promises to be a fiercely contested World Cup.
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