Daily Mail Sport readers are confident in England’s prospects of World Cup glory this summer as they tournament opens in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
In the build-up to the tournament, Daily Mail Sport readers have been using our predictor to deliver their verdict over how the tournament will unfold this summer.
With the World Cup beginning today with co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa, we can reveal what you believe is likely to happen.
This includes your verdict on whether England boss Thomas Tuchel can help end 60 years of hurt and lead the Three Lions to World Cup glory for the first time since 1966.
We can also reveal who Daily Mail Sport readers believe are the main favourites to lift the World Cup on July 19 in New York.
Daily Mail Sport’s Riath Al-Samarrai will be responding in the comments at 4pm to readers’ predictions.
Daily Mail Sport readers are confident in England’s prospects of success at the World Cup
How will England get on?
‘The mission of why we are here is very very clear,’ Tuchel told his players in his first speech to the squad last year, which has been revealed in footage published by the Football Association this week.
‘We want to be world champions. We want to put the second star on our shirt. It’s very important that we just speak about it straight away. The target of this mission is clear. Second star on our shirt.’
Daily Mail Sport readers are backing Tuchel and his side to achieve that stated aim, with 22.8 per cent hopeful that the likes of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice can lead England to glory.
While the highest percentage believe that football will come home, others are more pessimistic that the Three Lions’ dreams will once again be shattered.
Another quarter-final exit has been predicted by 21.9 per cent of readers. It would be the second successive exit at this stage after losing to France at Qatar 2022, while it would be an eighth quarter-final elimination in 17 appearances at the World Cup for England.
A further 18.4 per cent believe England will fall in the last-16, while 16.1 per cent are optimistic Tuchel can equal the performance of his predecessor Gareth Southgate, who led the Three Lions to the semi-finals at Russia 2018.
A heart-breaking loss in the final has been predicted by 10.5 per cent of readers. The least optimistic are the 7.3 per cent who believe England will crash out in the last 32 and the three per cent to have predicted Tuchel’s side will fail to advance from the group stage, where they face Croatia, Ghana and Panama.
Over 22 per cent of Daily Mail Sport readers believe Thomas Tuchel will lead England to World Cup glory
Nearly 22 per cent believe England will be eliminated in the quarter-finals again, as they were at Qatar 2022 by France
Who will win the World Cup?
Only one nation was backed more by Daily Mail Sport readers to win the World Cup than England – with a quarter expecting France to lift the trophy next month.
This would see France feature in a remarkable third successive World Cup final having won the 2018 tournament in Russia, before losing to Argentina on penalties at Qatar 2022.
Didier Deschamps, who coached France in both of those finals and captained their 1998 World Cup winning team, will lead the country into a major tournament for a final time as manager.
Deschamps certainly has a squad well equipped for another tilt at glory, with Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise among a vast array of attacking options at his disposal.
After France and England, Daily Mail Sport readers have Spain as their next most likely winners with 18 per cent backing Luis de la Fuente’s side.
Spain head into the tournament as the reigning European champions, after beating England in their Euro 2024 final.
Their neighbours Portugal are viewed as another leading contender, with just under 10 per cent of readers backing Cristiano Ronaldo to win the World Cup for the first time in his sixth and final appearance.
France are viewed as the favourites to win the World Cup by Daily Mail Sport readers
European champions Spain are third favourites with Daily Mail Sport readers, behind France and England
His great rival Lionel Messi got his hands on the trophy four years ago and a number of readers believe he will do so again in the United States, where he now plays.
Just over eight per cent expect Argentina to become the first back-to-back champions since Brazil, who achieved the feat by winning in 1958 and 1962.
A similar number of readers expect Brazil, managed by Carlo Ancelotti, to triumph in North America as they did when they United States last hosted in 1994.
Germany and the Netherlands are viewed as outside bets with 2 and 1.2 per cent having backed them respectively to triumph.
All other nations were backed by less than one per cent of readers. That includes Scotland, with 0.8 per cent having the Tartan Army celebrating a stunning triumph.
Which England star has 7 GCSEs? Who has lost half of his finger? Test your knowledge of Thomas Tuchel’s squad with our exclusive quiz HERE
