Gary Lineker names his favourites to win World Cup - and it's not England

England is preparing to travel to the United States under the guidance of Champions League-winning manager Tuchel, who is tasked with ending a 60-year trophy drought. After several near-misses under Sir Gareth Southgate, including two European Championship final defeats, expectations are high for a squad featuring record goalscorer Harry Kane and Declan Rice. However, the international landscape remains fiercely competitive. Spain enter the tournament as the reigning European champions after their triumph in Berlin, while France - winners in 2018 and finalists in 2022 - boast arguably the deepest talent pool in world football, leaving England as part of a "big five" chasing pack rather than an outright favourite.

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker analysed the leading contenders and suggested that England still have a gap to bridge. He pointed to Spain’s ability to dominate tournaments as the deciding factor in his prediction.

The 1986 Golden Boot winner explained: "The World Cup is getting very close now. 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."

The discussion on the podcast shifted towards the environmental challenges awaiting teams in North America, with co-host Micah Richards echoing Lineker's support for Spain while highlighting the physical toll of the American summer.

The former England defender said: "I would always back England, especially with the players they have available. The only slight concern for me is the climate. The climate, guys, you know what it’s like playing in that heat. The players from Spain, Italy and France generally play in better weather and are perhaps better equipped to play in the heat. If I had to pick one, I would go with you and choose Spain."

Following a 1-1 draw with Uruguay, Tuchel’s side face a final friendly against Japan on Tuesday to settle on a squad before their World Cup opener against Croatia on June 17. With further Group L fixtures against Ghana and Panama on the horizon, the pressure is on the manager to translate England’s elite talent into a dominant tournament start and justify their status as frontrunners.