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An obvious skepticism about the seriousness of Tuchel’s team in the World Cup
Former England defender Jamie Carragher has strongly defended Harry Kane’s nomination for the Ballon d’Or, insisting the striker’s performances over the past year deserved to win world football’s most prestigious individual award.
Carragher noted that Kane had done enough at club and national level to be considered the most popular player in the last twelve months.
“Based on the results of the last 12 months, Harry Kane should be awarded the Ballon d’Or,” he said.
However, the former Liverpool captain also admitted that England’s chances of captaining the national team are significantly reduced given the wider context of international tournaments, particularly in a World Cup year.
“But unfortunately he may not win it because in a World Cup year the prize inevitably goes to the most famous star of the title-winning team.”
Carragher also cast doubt on England’s ability to seriously challenge for the World Cup title, noting that coach Thomas Tuchel’s side’s recent performance in the tournament does not support optimism about their chances of winning the tournament.
“As much as I would like to believe that England are still capable of winning the title, there is nothing to support this view, especially after the recent performance.”
England started the 2026 World Cup with a strong 4-2 win over Croatia, then failed to find collective solutions in subsequent matches and looked confused, notably against Ghana in a 0-0 draw in the second round of the group stage and against Democratic Republic of Congo, who were beaten 2-1 in a last-gasp Kanba match.
