Newly appointed Real Madrid manager, José Mourinho, has tipped Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo as genuine contenders for World Cup success, while also placing England among the leading teams capable of lifting football’s biggest prize.
Speaking exclusively to Adebayo Akinfenwa on the Beast Mode On Podcast, Mourinho assessed the chances of several nations still in contention at the tournament in North America and expressed confidence in Portugal’s ability to challenge for the title.
“They should [go all the way and win the World Cup]. They are not alone. Of course there are other [contenders].
“I always say England [will be in contention to make the final]. I look to the players, and we come from that generation, [Frank] Lampard, [Steven] Gerrard, [John] Terry, [Rio] Ferdinand, [David] Beckham. Since then, I always say England, and then it doesn’t happen, but I always say England.”
Mourinho believes England’s strength lies in the quality of players competing in the Premier League and pointed to the recent performances of English clubs in European competitions as evidence.
“Arsenal lost the Champions League final, but they were there. Crystal Palace won the Conference League. Aston Villa won the Europa League. Apart from Barcelona, Bayern, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, the best players are in England.
“When you lose on penalties you are speaking about details and they lost on penalties once, in the Euro 2004 in Portugal… Portugal beat them on penalties too. Penalties are just little clicks.
“I believe they have more pressure than anybody else in relation to the media. And the media, at the end of the day, they influence the people a lot – in this case the English fans. Expectation. Responsibility. They couldn’t cope with it. They always had good coaches. They have another good coach again. I always think they can [win the World Cup].”
The Portuguese coach also highlighted France’s remarkable depth and insisted they remain one of the strongest teams in the competition.
He added that Brazil can never be discounted, especially under the guidance of Carlo Ancelotti.
“You look to France, and they could play with three different teams, and still be contenders. And then Spain, Argentina, Brazil, people can say they are not as talented in cups where they won, but I always say a coach like Carlo [Ancelotti] plays a role.
“You could even feel, after a bad match, a draw against Morocco, it looks like a Tsunami arrived… not for Carlo. I always believe Carlo can make a difference. Portugal are incredible, with an incredible squad too.”
Mourinho will also be monitoring the fortunes of several Real Madrid players competing at the tournament.
Jude Bellingham is representing England, while Kylian Mbappé, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Ibrahima Konaté are part of the France squad.
Thibaut Courtois is with Belgium, Antonio Rüdiger is representing Germany, Federico Valverde features for Uruguay and Marc Cucurella is targeting further success with Spain.
However, the veteran manager jokingly admitted he would prefer his Madrid stars to return home sooner rather than later as he prepares for the new season.
“I want Real Madrid players to lose and go on holidays because I want the guys back to pre-season!”
Mourinho spoke to the Beast Mode On Podcast as part of his partnership with Coca-Cola.
The collaboration includes the Jose vs Mourinho project, which features AI versions of the renowned coach debating World Cup topics throughout the tournament.
