Jamie Carragher has expressed doubts about England's prospects at the 2026 World Cup, suggesting that Thomas Tuchel's squad selection prioritises athleticism over flair. The former Liverpool defender, who earned 38 caps for England, said he did not enjoy his own World Cup experiences and believes the current team may struggle.
Speaking on The Overlap, Carragher said: 'I played in a couple of World Cups … I don’t think I enjoyed the experience. I didn’t love it.' He added that Tuchel has 'put energy, athleticism and harmony over talent' in his squad choices, omitting players like Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Carragher said: 'I think England will find it tough in this tournament, if I’m being honest. You look at the squad that has been picked and there are a lot of good players in there but I class a lot of them as good Premier League players. I don’t look at all of them and think … that’s an international player there.'
He predicted that England's progress would not be based on 'playing amazing football' but on a more pragmatic approach. England begin their World Cup campaign on Thursday, with Tuchel's side aiming to go deep into the tournament despite lacking the star quality of previous squads.
