As the 2026 FIFA World Cup is on, Chelsea and England legend John Terry has delivered an uncomfortable truth for English football fans: France, not England, is the favourite to win it all.
John Terry, the former Chelsea and England captain whose illustrious career made him one of the most respected voices in the game, has cast his eye over the field and landed firmly in the French camp.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with TimesLIVE, the Blues legend named France and Spain as the two nations best positioned to go all the way, with France earning his top spot as the outright favorite.
At the heart of Terry’s argument lies a simple, irrefutable truth: France’s squad depth is nothing short of extraordinary. While many nations would consider themselves fortunate to possess one generational talent, France appears to have assembled an entire generation of them.
“I think their strength in depth and the attacking options they have, Doue, Olise, Mbappe, Dembele, Cherki—it’s endless,” Terry told TimesLIVE with unmistakable admiration.
It is a sentiment that few informed observers would rush to dispute. Kylian Mbappe, already widely regarded as the best player on the planet, is flanked by a cast of supporting attackers that most international managers could only dream of fielding.
The emergence of Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki alongside the established brilliance of Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele means that French head coach Didier Deschamps faces the kind of selection headache most coaches would gladly endure.
But Terry’s assessment was not limited to the spectacular attacking talent at France’s disposal. The former center-back, a man who built his career on defensive solidity and tactical discipline, was equally emphatic about the balance running through the entire French setup.
“They are good defensively, their midfield is very good, and I think they have such a good squad,” he noted, painting the picture of a team firing on all cylinders across every department of the pitch.
Terry also pointed to a crucial psychological ingredient that could prove decisive as the tournament enters its most intense stages: momentum and confidence. Several key members of the French squad ply their trade at Paris Saint-Germain, who recently claimed a historic Champions League title. That pedigree of winning on the grandest of European stages, Terry argues, could translate powerfully onto the World Cup’s even larger theater.
“They have got PSG players that have just come off the back of a big European win as well,” he observed, a point that speaks to more than just form. Winning breeds winning, and the mental fortitude that comes with lifting a trophy of that magnitude is the sort of intangible quality that can carry a squad deep into a tournament.
Yet for all his admiration of the French, Terry was careful not to entirely extinguish the flame of English hope. The passion of a man who represented his country 78 times was evident as he conceded his own patriotic bias.
“I hope I’m wrong; I hope it is England,” he said, words that will resonate deeply with millions of supporters back home, still daring to dream that football might finally come home.
Spain, Terry added, also carries genuine winning credentials, making them the third legitimate contender in his estimation, a nod to La Roja’s technical excellence and the conveyor belt of talent continuing to emerge from their celebrated development system.
John Terry’s assessment serves as both a cautionary tale and a rallying call. France, in his view, has the squad, the depth, the confidence, and the momentum to go all the way.
England fans, of course, will hope he is very wrong indeed.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Chelsea legend John Terry has tipped France as the favourites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, citing their extraordinary squad depth and attacking talent, from Mbappe to emerging stars like Doue and Cherki, as the defining edge over every other competing nation.
