England enter the 2026 World Cup with familiar levels of expectation — but Thomas Tuchel’s squad announcement has already ensured scrutiny will follow his side into the tournament after several high-profile omissions from his England selection.Despite the controversy surrounding some of Tuchel’s decisions, England are viewed as one of the leading contenders to win the competition. They are currently priced at 11/2 to lift the trophy next summer, behind only France, who are 9/2, and favourites Spain, who are 4/1.That pricing underlines the depth of talent still available to Tuchel, even after leaving out several established names in a squad announcement that immediately sparked debate over the balance of experience and form within the group.The expectation is clearly that England should go deep into the competition. They are 1/4 to reach the Round of 16, odds-on at 8/11 to make the quarter-finals and 17/10 to reach the semi-finals.England’s chance of reaching the final is priced at 16/5 (all prices were correct at the time of writing, but may have changed in the meantime).There is similar confidence around England’s opening game against Croatia, with Tuchel’s side 4/6 favourites to begin the tournament with a victory.