World Cup 2026: Paul Merson ranks top 5 favourites to win trophy

Arsenal legend, Paul Merson, has ranked his top five favourites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In his column for Sportskeeda, Merson ranked Spain and France as the number one and two favourites because of the array of talent in their squads.

He also included Germany in the list because of its history in the competition.

“1. Spain. Spain have the X-factor.

I said that teams who keep the ball longer will have a better chance of winning the World Cup this time around. Spain excel at the art of keeping the ball, and that will be a big advantage in this weather,” Merson said.

“2. France. I haven’t ranked France at number 2 because of their centre-backs! Their attack is stacked. France have the ammunition to hurt any team in the world.

“3. Argentina. If Messi performs as he did in his early 30s, Argentina have a chance. I doubt he still has that cutting edge to win the World Cup back-to-back, though.

“4. Portugal. It would have helped Martinez if Ronaldo was actually banned for the first few games at the World Cup. I like the look of Portugal’s midfield. Vitinha, Joao Neves and Bruno Fernandes are all world-class footballers. Any team that keeps the ball well will have a strong chance in this tournament, and Portugal are one of them.

“5. England. England have a chance of winning it. But when push comes to shove against big teams in the latter stages, can they step up? That is our huge challenge, in my opinion. I’m hoping it might be different under Tuchel this time. England certainly have some match-winners.”

World Cup 2026: Paul Merson ranks top 5 favourites to win trophy