The former Liverpool defender does not look back positively on his experience in the tournament and is not optimistic about Thomas Tuchel’s side’s chances.
Jamie Carragher is not bullish on England’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup (Image: The Overlap/YouTube)
It’s understandable that Jamie Carragher wouldn’t be too excited about the World Cup, considering his 38th and final international appearance was one of England’s most memorable matches of the tournament.
Carragher won his final cap at the 2010 South Africa Championship, in a group game against Algeria in Cape Town. As Wayne Rooney left the pitch after the goalless draw with Algeria, he quipped to the television cameras and criticized England fans. It was such an opportunity.
It was one of the many bitter moments in England’s tournament history. Carragher competed twice in the 2010 tournament and four times in the 2006 tournament in Germany.
Carragher said in an overlap provided by Sky Bet: “I went to a few World Cups…I don’t think I enjoyed the experience. I didn’t like it. I didn’t go home thinking…Wow, I was part of a World Cup. There were a lot of negative things.”
England lost to Portugal in the quarter-finals in 2006 and infamously lost to Germany in the round of 16 in 2010. In the last two tournaments, England lost to France in the quarter-finals and Croatia in the semi-finals in 2018.
In general, the England experience appears to have been more positive than Carragher’s playing days. And, as Carragher explains, from a team harmony perspective, that will probably be the case at the 2026 World Cup as well.
“When you look at the team, I think Thomas Tuchel was more about energy, athleticism and harmony than talent. I know Anthony Barry (Tuchel’s assistant) a little bit and they’ve given us great attention to this cohesiveness and how we should be as a group for hopefully six weeks.”
Jamie Carragher says Thomas Tuchel prioritized athleticism in his World Cup selection (Image: 2026 Getty Images)
Carragher is right. If England go deep into the tournament, which opens on Thursday, it is unlikely to be a battle based on showreel highlights and whimsical moments.
“I think England are going to have a tough time in this competition, to be honest,” Carragher said. “If you look at the selected squad, there are a lot of good players, but I would classify many of them as good players in the Premier League.
“I look at all of them and I don’t think it’s an international player. So I can’t say I’m the most optimistic at the moment.”
Perhaps these past experiences contribute to Carragher’s pessimism. But his concerns about England’s chances are completely understandable.
Cole Palmer was a game-changer at Euro 2024 but will not play in World Cup 2026
Of course, it goes without saying that the England national team is full of skilled operators. But Carragher’s point is that it’s light on Stardust.
That’s because Tuchel was without Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold. In the first two cases, Tuchel was probably in good form, with Palmer and Foden struggling to stay in good form at the club. In the case of Alexander-Arnold, Tuchel was clearly not a fan.
“Look at how they (England) win the World Cup. It’s not about playing great football,” Carragher said.
He’s almost certainly right. England, led by Tuchel, may make it big into the 2026 World Cup, but it will be a tough battle. There is no doubt about that.
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