Didier Deschamps speaks on England, Spain World Cup chances

France manager Didier Deschamps has shared his opinion on England and Spain chances of winning the 2026 World Cup as he also prepare his French squad.

Ahead of the tournament in Mexico, Canada and the United States, France have been tipped to reach the final just like they did four years ago.

However, Deschamps believes England counterpart Thomas Tuchel is one of the primary reasons that the Three Lions have a chance of winning the tournament.

He also noted that Spain will make life very difficult for opponents.

The Spanish national team players and their coach, Luis de la Fuente, before catching their flight to the World Cup. (Photo By Alvaro Ballesteros/Europa Press via Getty Images)

According to Deschamps, it’s difficult for opposition defence to deal with Spain.

“In terms of style, they remain the same. If there’s one difference that allowed them to win the European Championship, it’s that, beyond Spain’s long-standing ability to maintain possession, they have an added advantage thanks to the individual characteristics of their players: speed. And speed is dangerous. It makes things very difficult for the defence,” he told Marca.

In terms of England’s chances, the France manager cited Tuchel, who has been questioned plenty, as one of the main reasons they should be considered contenders.

Thomas Tuchel, Manager of England. (Photo by Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

“They have a very good manager whom I also greatly admire, and with whom I’ve had the opportunity to speak quite a bit. I don’t object at all to the idea that the English league is the best. Because of the great players they have, and the financial resources, undoubtedly far superior. For me, the more accustomed my players are to those demands on a daily basis, whether at Bayern, PSG, or English clubs, the better.”

Speaking more generally about the World Cup, Deschamps did not name any dark horses to come away with the trophy.

“The same as for you. Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, England, Argentina, Brazil… And then, African teams like Morocco, who reached the semifinals and continue to improve. Why couldn’t another African team be there? Today there are 48 teams, which lengthens the competition.”

“It’s kind of you to say we’re one of the favourites, because the tendency is usually to label us as the favourite. It’s a status we carry with us before every World Cup. Initially, there’s talk of a closed circle of six, seven, or eight teams. For me, it’s not a taboo word. If we hold that status today, which seems logical and legitimate to me, it’s because of everything we’ve built and the results we’ve achieved. It’s due, of course, to the quality of our players, but also to our consistency: if I’m not mistaken, we’ve been among the top three in the FIFA rankings since 2018.”

“With Senegal, Iraq, and Norway in our group, a difficult phase awaits us. There will be obstacles to overcome, and we’ll do everything possible to do so, acknowledging that it will be tough. Ambition is crucial, but it must be accompanied by the necessary humility. The elite are ruthless. It already happened to us once, especially against Switzerland: the day you lower your level even slightly, the punishment is immediate.”