The FIFA World Cup is edging closer, and Jamie Carragher has made his prediction. The soccer star-turned-pundit believes there is a clear favorite, and it’s not his home country, England.
Jamie Carragher Makes FIFA World Cup Prediction
Carragher was writing in his The Telegraph column when he made an interesting prediction for the World Cup. He believes France will win it once again, as they will be better acclimated than the other sides.
The Liverpool legend added that Didier Deschamps’ experience will also play a key role in the tournament. He went on to claim that any side aiming to go all the way in the tournament will be praying to avoid Les Bleus and wrote:
“France. They have so much class it is difficult to look beyond them. They’ve been the winners and runners-up in the last two World Cups, and in Didier Deschamps they have a World Cup-winning coach whose more pragmatic approach should suit the hot temperatures in the United States.”
“Such is the pace and skill in the French line-up, there are times when you think they can be even better, it would be great to see them play like PSG in the Champions League, but they have the players to get the job done whichever approach they take. Any country navigating a path to the later stages will want to avoid the French.”
France won the 2018 edition and finished as runners-up in the 2022 edition, losing to Argentina in the penalty shootout. England was one of the sides knocked out by the French on their way to the final, when the two sides met in the quarterfinals.
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Carragher believes the Three Lions will go one step further this time around and make it to the semifinal. He is confident that Thomas Tuchel will guide them well in the tournament and wrote:
“Semi-finals. Reaching the semis would be a fine performance for Thomas Tuchel. A quarter-final would be OK given some of the competition, but expectations are high after consecutive European Championship finals. Tuchel has plenty of talent to choose from. Finding a formula to get everyone in the same line-up is a familiar problem. The best starting XI for England today may be much different by June.”
He is still unsure about England’s starting XI, but claimed that there is enough time for players like Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, and Cole Palmer to make their case this season.
