The 2026 World Cup is set to officially kick off on Thursday afternoon when Mexico squares off against South Africa. For England, though, the action won’t get underway until next Wednesday when it squares off against Croatia. And once the ball gets rolling, one of the nation’s most legendary players, Michael Owen, believes that expectations are going to be high for this squad.
Having represented his country in three World Cups, Owen knows what England will be dealing with once the tournament gets underway. In an exclusive interview with Heavy on Soccer on behalf of casino.org, Owen discussed England’s prospects in the upcoming World Cup, while also revealing who he believes will prevail in the tournament when all is said and done.
Michael Owen Sets the Stage for England in the 2026 World Cup
England isn’t the favorite to win the tournament this year, but it is once again entering the action as one of the top teams in the world. While the squad selection for the World Cup turned heads, it’s tough to deny just how talented this group is. When he looks at the team, though, it shouldn’t be a surprise that, given his penchant for scoring during his playing career, Owen believes England’s attack will be its strength once it takes the field.
“I think our strongest asset is the amount of quality attacking players we’ve got in behind Harry Kane, in that number 10 position and the wide positions,” Owen told Heavy on Soccer. “To be able to leave Cole Palmer and Phil Foden and players like that out, shows you how strong we are … I think the strength will be in keeping those positions fresh, lively and making lots of changes in the early stages to keep everyone fresh.”
After failing to make it out of the group stage in 2014, England has responded by going on deep runs in both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Once again, another deep run will be the expectation for England, but just how far can this team go? If you ask Owen, if they aren’t one of the final eight teams standing, that means something has gone seriously wrong.
“Unless we ended up playing a top team in the knockout stage before, say, the last 8, then I think a lot of questions would be asked, I would say,” Owen opined. “Obviously, a lot depends on the new layout, but if we didn’t reach the quarter-final, that would be really disappointing.”
Michael Owen Picks His Winner of the 2026 World Cup
GettyMichael Owen knows just how important the 2026 World Cup is for England
England is in a crowd of teams that are believed to have a real shot at winning the tournament, but the two clear frontrunners right now are Spain and France. While Owen doesn’t think either of these teams will win the World Cup this year, he did offer an intriguing comparison between these two nations that could be worth keeping in mind as the games get underway.
“I think France have got the best players,” Owen admitted. “Spain is probably the best team in terms of teamwork, the way they all know each other’s game. I think they just fit like a glove. Spain are a really good team to watch, but I don’t think individually they’re as good as France.”
If Owen doesn’t think either of these teams will win, though, who does he have prevailing in the 2026 World Cup? Rather than going with his home country of England, Owen made a rather surprising pick for the winner of the tournament, revealing that he believes Germany will be hoisting some silverware when all is said and done.
“I have a hunch for Germany; I think they could go well.”
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