Infographic by Octavia Knox

Boasting one of the strongest squads in years, I believe England’s national football team will win the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Under new team manager Thomas Tuchel, the current squad has the talent and experience necessary to secure the title that has eluded England for over half a century, and will finally bring the trophy home.

Football, known as soccer here in the states, was invented in the late 19th century in England, according to Britannica. England is widely recognized as the inventor of the game, yet has won only one World Cup in 1966.

Growing up in Los Angeles in the 2000s, I only had one choice of local football teams to support — the LA Galaxy. Lucky for me, their star player, David Beckham, was not only the captain of LA Galaxy but previously played on the England national football team, according to ESPN. He is the reason I fell in love with the game, and he is the reason I fell in love with England football.

When I became an England fan, I quickly learned two things. First, the team is always great on paper but can never conquer the World Cup. Second, I learned the chant sung by fans all around the world, “It’s Coming Home,” from the 1996 song “Three Lions” by British comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner.

England’s de facto anthem was released amid the team’s campaign during the 1996 UEFA Euro Championships, 30 years after England’s lone World Cup victory in 1966. For me, “Three Lions” is a song of hope — hope England would end “30 years of hurt” as Baddiel and Skinner said.

England lost the Euro 1996 championship and hasn’t won a major trophy since, meaning 30 years of hurt could become 60 by the time of the 2026 World Cup. 

Jed Peel, lifelong England fan and owner of Crown and Anchor, a British restaurant and pub in Thousand Oaks, said he opened the business as a place for England fans to gather and support the team, even in a place as far as California.

Peel said he watched England win the World Cup in 1966. Now, after 60 years of disappointment, he said he still wants the same thing. 

“I always want England to win the World Cup. That’s all I want to do, I want to see England win the World Cup again,” Peel said. 

The major trophies, the UEFA Euros and the FIFA World Cup, are tournaments held every four years, pitting the best national teams against each other. The Euros focus specifically on European nations, while the World Cup hosts national teams from the entire globe.

Given the history of England’s defeats in major tournaments, many fans feel let down by the team’s inability to secure a major trophy after all these years, according to Peel.

“A lot of fans come in with high expectations, and a lot of the time, depending on the result, they leave with their tail between their legs,” Peel said. 

Euro 2024 concluded an eight-year run in which England reached three major finals but produced no trophies. As a result, England’s manager Gareth Southgate announced his resignation on July 16, 2024, according to ESPN. 

This leadership change was hardly a shock for fans, as many called for Southgate to be sacked. I felt he did not have what was necessary to take one of the brightest generations of England talent to the peak of football glory.  

In October 2024 it was announced that Tuchel would become the new manager of England. Tuchel was a Champions League winner with Chelsea Football Club in 2021, according to UEFA’s website. 

Some of the latest call-ups to the national squad have included the likes of young talent. The team recently acquired Cole Palmer, a midfielder, who, according to the Premier League website, scored 15 goals and eight assists in the 2024-25 Premier League season. 

There are also veteran players such as Harry Kane who is second in all-time Premier League goals and recently bagged his 100th goal for Bayern Munich. 

Of course, England fans have had their trepidations after losing the World Cup semifinals in 2018, and Euros 2020 and 2024. But what makes this team most special is that their fans never give up, support their side and sing their players to victory all over the world.

Gary Baylis, a regular customer at Crown and Anchor, is a second-generation England fan, born in America to two English parents. He represents one of many around the world who have faith in Kane to captain the squad to victory. 

“I would say Kane will be the breakout player at the World Cup, he’s England’s top goal scorer of all time,” said Baylis. 

With young players shining at the right time, an excellent run of form in recent matches, and fans around the world who still show up and believe despite 60 years of heartbreak, I know England will lift the World Cup. 

Just as Baddiel and Skinner said in the “Three Lions” anthem, “30 years of hurt never stopped me dreaming.”