Olaleye Idowu
Former England international, Paul Scholes, has said that the country stands no chance of winning the 2026 World Cup to be hosted in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
England became the first European country to qualify for the World Cup on Tuesday after beating Latvia 5 goals to 0.
Scholes said Thomas Tuchel’s team has ‘no chance’ of winning the tournament unless the German gaffer brings his ‘three best players’ back into the squad.
Tuchel will now be hoping to lead England to their first major trophy in men’s football since 1966.
The former Chelsea manager was appointed as Sir Gareth Southgate’s successor last year.
England made it to two European Championship finals and two World Cup semi-finals under Southgate, but failed to lift those trophies.
But former Manchester United midfielder, Scholes, believes that England has ‘no chance’ unless Tuchel brings his ‘three best players’ back into the fold.
Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish were left out of the team for their last matches.
“I was a little bit surprised. Those three players have to be in his squad, and they will be in his squad for the World Cup,” Scholes said on The Overlap.
“If you look at the squad now, you would say they have virtually no chance of winning the World Cup. Even with those three players, it’s still a big ask, but it gives you more of a chance of winning the cup.
“Jude Bellingham has missed a little bit of football, but he’s fit now, so I would have brought him back in.
“Thomas Tuchel hasn’t got many games left now until the World Cup actually starts, it’s only the November break and then the March one and then we’re there, so we need to get these players playing.”
While announcing his squad for the last international break, Tuchel insisted he had ‘no problem’ with the omitted players, especially Bellingham.
