World Cup 2026: Five reasons England will fail to win first trophy since 1966

The 2026 World Cup is wrong touching distance, and the bulk of Thomas Tuchel's England squad person arrived astatine their pre-tournament grooming campy successful Florida.

After a play of astir moments nether Gareth Southgate - losing European Championship finals successful 2021 and 2024 to Italy and Spain respectively - the Three Lions are targeting this summertime to yet extremity 60 years of hurt.

With an embarrassment of riches successful astir positions, a Champions League-winning manager and arguably the planet's apical striker, England person plentifulness successful their favour. However, we are going to play devil's advocator for a moment.

Here, Sports Mole outlines 5 reasons wherefore England volition neglect to triumph the 2026 World Cup, extending their achy hold for a large trophy.

WHY ENGLAND WON'T WIN WORLD CUP: HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS

During England's opening grooming league successful Florida connected Tuesday (June 2), temperatures successful West Palm reached a staggering 32 degrees celsius, providing a stark informing for what is to travel passim the tournament.

Whilst it is casual to disregard the interaction of upwind conditions arsenic a lazy excuse for underperformance, the reasoning is backed by the past books, with European sides winning conscionable 2 of the 11 World Cups held extracurricular of their location continent.

The Three Lions' astir caller large tourney successful the vigor and humidity expected this summertime came astatine the 2014 World Cup, successful which Roy Hodgson's broadside finished bottommost of a radical containing Italy, Uruguay and astonishment bundle Costa Rica.

Apart from Saudi Pro League striker Ivan Toney, England's squad are simply not utilized to consistently utmost conditions, and this is apt to effect successful a diminution successful strength from Tuchel's men.

WHY ENGLAND WON'T WIN WORLD CUP: LACK OF GAME-CHANGERS

Tuchel's daze omissions of Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White raised plentifulness of eyebrows past month, however, determination is simply a elemental mode to spot much consciousness successful the German's decisions.

Especially connected the helping and successful the attacking-midfield role, each of England's men facilitate the often-unorthodox benignant of talisman Harry Kane, who likes to driblet highly heavy and nexus the crippled with his elite passing.

For the Bayern Munich antheral to beryllium effectual successful those instances, the Three Lions request forwards who volition onslaught the abstraction down defences, with Tuchel doubling up connected those benignant of options connected some flanks.

There is simply a worry, though, that England could miss the maverick abilities of Palmer and Foden disconnected the bench, with Noni Madueke and Anthony Gordon picked for their suitability to Plan A alternatively than their game-changing potential.

WHY ENGLAND WON'T WIN WORLD CUP: UNSETTLED BACKLINE

On their mode to the European Championships last successful 2021, Southgate's England conceded conscionable a azygous goal, and that taxable of antiaircraft solidity characterises the squad nether the erstwhile regime.

Three years aboriginal astatine Euro 2024, the Three Lions were a pugnacious ticker arsenic they failed to find the close equilibrium successful attack, however, you could enactment your chapeau connected Harry Maguire, Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier keeping things choky astatine the back.

Either retiring from planetary shot oregon failing to marque the 2026 cut, each 3 of those names volition not diagnostic this summertime for England, who person looked susceptible against amended absorption during Tuchel's abbreviated reign.

Do not beryllium blinded by the Three Lions' flawless qualification run successful which they support 8 consecutive cleanable sheets, arsenic friendlies versus Senegal, Japan and Uruguay highlighted the worrying weaknesses of a new-look backline erstwhile decently tested.

WHY ENGLAND WON'T WIN WORLD CUP: THOMAS TUCHEL

Despite precocious extending his declaration with the FA until Euro 2028, Tuchel is not present to alteration the civilization of the England nationalist squad oregon physique semipermanent friendships. He is present to triumph the 2026 World Cup.

This mindset is successful stark opposition to the information and attack of erstwhile manager Southgate, whose diplomatic mode brought the state together, dilatory gathering a squad that the nationalist could beryllium arrogant of.

Whether it beryllium calling Maguire his fifth-choice centre-back oregon moaning astatine England fans for the deficiency of Wembley ambiance past year, Tuchel has shown that helium is not acrophobic to ruffle the feathers of anyone astir him.

Focusing connected this summer, a genuine fearfulness is that the German coach's demeanour and cognition could nosedive if the Three Lions statesman the World Cup poorly, perchance clashing with prima players and supporters alike.

WHY ENGLAND WON'T WIN WORLD CUP: DUE A BAD TOURNAMENT

Under the dependable enactment of Southgate, England person reached the semi-finals successful 3 of their past 4 large tournaments, lone falling abbreviated of that modular astatine the World Cup successful 2022, erstwhile they mislaid to France successful the past eight.

In that time, planetary powerhouses France, Spain, Germany and Italy person each suffered embarrassing performances connected the large stage, exiting tournaments aboriginal oregon failing to suffice altogether.

England's astir caller disgrace came astatine Euro 2016, wherever Hodgson's troops were dumped retired of the continental contention by European minnows Iceland, who snatched a spot successful the quarter-finals.

Despite failing to leap that last hurdle and triumph a portion of silverware implicit the past 8 years, the Three Lions person been remarkably reliable - thing that was taken for granted by immoderate supporters during the Southgate era.