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PEP GUARDIOLA: ENGLAND CAN WIN 2026 WORLD CUP, CITING TUCHEL'S "BELIEF MOMENT"
Man City coach Pep Guardiola strongly believes England has the quality and tactical leadership under Thomas Tuchel to win the 2026 World Cup, citing a coming 'belief moment.'
Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola thinks England has a real opportunity to win the next World Cup in North America.
These comments from Guardiola come as excitement is growing for the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup and as several of City’s English players are getting better and better.
Guys like Phil Foden, Rico Lewis, John Stones, James Trafford, and Nico O’Reilly could all be in Thomas Tuchel’s plans next summer. That would mean a strong Manchester City influence on the national team, which is already building on solid tournament showings under Gareth Southgate and entering a fresh tactical phase with Thomas Tuchel.
Guardiola’s support comes at a time when Manchester City is thinking ahead, with talk about squad planning being a big topic recently. The club is watching how their players might be used at the World Cup. England’s games in a tough group—like the big match against Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic’s Croatia—make things even more interesting for City.
Beyond just the talent on the England squad, Guardiola’s words point out the mental block that past teams couldn’t seem to get past. Guardiola, who’s been around English soccer for almost ten years, feels the nation is getting close to that crucial “belief moment” that usually comes before a major tournament win.
At a press conference, Pep Guardiola was asked what he thinks about Thomas Tuchel and England's chances. He had already said he supported the team beforehand.
“They have a good chance. Just look at the manager and the quality of the players; even the ones who might not get picked are top quality,” Guardiola said.
“Once they believe they can win, they will. I think Thomas [Tuchel] will convince them of that. They’re great in every area,” he added.
“Gareth [Southgate] got them to the finals, semi-finals, finals, semi-finals, and finals—they’re so close. It reminds me of Spain; they were always there. Then, when they finally broke through and won, they kept winning.”
Pep Guardiola’s praise will spark debate about how Manchester City’s English players fit into the bigger picture. Everyone expects Phil Foden to be a key creative player for Tuchel, and John Stones’ fitness will be watched closely. Young players like Nico O’Reilly could get into the mix if they keep playing well for their clubs.
England doing well could also affect City’s transfer plans in the summer and winter. A good run would likely boost the value and profile of their important players. Also, players who are on the edge of Tuchel’s squad might see the months before the World Cup as a chance to get more playing time with their clubs.
In the end, Pep Guardiola’s confidence is more than just wishful thinking. It's also a sign that England now has the tactics, leadership, and depth to win the World Cup for the first time since 1966.
WHY DECEMBER 2025 WAS PEP GUARDIOLA’S MOST "STATISTICALLY PERFECT" MONTH EVER
Pep Guardiola’s "most impressive month" is over. Read why Man City are now favourites to snatch the 2026 Premier League title.
It's tough to say how the 2025/26 team will stack up against Pep Guardiola's other squads from his decade at the Etihad. They've shown a lot of potential six months into the season, but trophies aren't a sure thing yet.
Still, December 2025 definitely stands out as a crazy good month in Guardiola's 95-month tenure. It's not just that the Blues are doing well in the Premier League and Champions League, but where they got those wins.
Winning at Fulham, Real Madrid, Crystal Palace, and Nottingham Forest in a single month is quite the feat. Craven Cottage might not be the scariest place, but it's a long trip for a midweek game. Plus, the other three teams have been a pain for City in recent years.
Guardiola might not be thrilled with how they won—he wants them to be consistent for the entire match and for his young players to really show who they are all the time. But getting wins at those stadiums will help his players learn as they go. Once you’ve won at the Bernabeu, not many places can intimidate you, and the Forest win was huge because City lost there badly nine months prior.
City has totally answered questions about their away game performance this season. They lost three of their four league games—against Brighton, Villa, and Newcastle—on the road. They also messed up at Monaco in the Champions League after a bad second half when they should have won. Erling Haaland was mad and stormed off after the final whistle.
Those worries are gone after a month that was one of City's best ever away from home, statistically speaking. The last time City won all their away games in a month was in early 2024/25. Before that, you’d have to go back almost two years to February 2024 to find a month where they won four.
That February 2024 team was on its way to winning a fourth straight Premier League title and reaching the FA Cup Final. Before that, it was December 2021. City never won four away games in a month during their treble season, for instance.
Part of that is just how the schedule works—there aren't always four away games in a month. And once April and May roll around, if City is still in the FA Cup, they play at a neutral site. Still, it's amazing how good their December was, picking up so many good results from tough places.
That changes things as they head into another tough month with four more away games. They're at Sunderland on New Year's Day (who haven't lost at home in the Premier League this season), then at Newcastle for the first leg of their league cup semi-final, knowing they lost there recently and haven't won there in two years.
A few days later, it's the Manchester derby, followed by a trip to Bodo as they try to finish in the top eight in the first stage of the Champions League. City has done pretty well at Old Trafford lately, but derbies are always tense. And a plastic field in the Arctic Circle doesn't sound easy.
But City can go into these games feeling more confident after the December they just had. No matter how much the home teams try to rattle them, Guardiola’s improving squad has proven they can get results anywhere. They’ll see the first game of the year in the Northeast as a chance to really show what they want to accomplish in 2026.
OFFICIAL REPORT: RODRI RETURNS AS MANCHESTER CITY EXTEND DOMINANT EIGHT-MATCH WINNING STREAK
Rodri returns as Manchester City extends its winning run to eight games. Discover how the Club World Cup saved City's season.
It felt right having Rodri back. Pep Guardiola talked more openly than before about how good the Club World Cup was for Manchester City. He'd said it could be a disaster for the team. Now, they see it as what got them back on track.
At the end of June, he said, The main thing is to get back to our old selves. That's my goal for this competition. I want them to feel like we're back to being competitive, like we have for most of the last decade. Then we'll see.
We'll see after the final. We'll rest as much as the Premier League allows. Maybe it'll be awful in the winter. Maybe we'll be tired, and the World Cup will have messed us up. I don't know; we've never done this before. We'll find out when we get back.
The good from the Club World Cup wasn't clear right away. City played alright against Juventus, but then had a tough loss against Al Hilal in the last 16. Plus, Rodri hurt his hamstring on a bad field during that loss, which messed up his recovery from his ACL injury.
In September, Rodri started three games in a week against United, Napoli, and Arsenal. That wore him out, and he soon got another hamstring issue at Brentford, keeping him out for about ten weeks.
It might not be fair, but it doesn't seem like the Club World Cup helped Rodri get better. His being back in the team at the City Ground hints at a better second half of the season.
When he's back on the field, he'll join a team that's figured out how to win and fight for the league title without him. City has won their last eight games in a row in all competitions. Their longest streak since winning the Club World Cup. Guardiola mentions that the team has rediscovered the identity he wanted.
Despite worrying about the tournament and the problems that came up, FIFA's power move has given City a chance to reset, which they really needed to get back to full strength.
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