With the 2026 FIFA World Cup just around the corner, we sat down with Shaun Wallace, The Dark Destroyer from ITV’s The Chase.
A huge football fan, Shaun gave us his predictions on the overall winner, England’s chances and how Scotland will fare.
France Are the Team to Beat & Mbappé Could Make History
If you ask Shaun who he thinks will lift the trophy, his answer is immediate.
“I can’t see past France.
“I just think that if they get their act together they will be hard to beat, There’s a decent chance they’ll come up against Germany or Brazil in the final from the other side of the draw, so it’ll be a very tough game should either of those happen.
World Cup Bingo, Quiz, and More
A fun place for fans, newbies, and everyone in between
“It would be wonderful if Mbappé could score, because he’d be the first player in the history of the competition to score in three consecutive World Cup finals.
“Brazil are my sentimental favourites, but I can’t see past France.”
The Surprise Package
In terms of surprises, Shaun looks to Africa. Morocco impressed in Qatar four years ago, and he sees no reason to think the continent won’t produce another story worth following.
“It’s going to be hard to pick a surprise package because you don’t know where they’re going to come from.
“But I think Morocco are going to do very well, and Senegal could do extremely well too. I’m looking to the African continent for the surprise package and a team to really light up this World Cup.”
Golden Boot Winner: Mbappe, Alvarez, or Haaland
For the golden boot, Shaun has backed his head over his heart.
“I hope England go deep into the competition and I think Kane will score a few as I fancy them to progress through the knockout rounds.
“But as I’ve picked France to win the whole thing, Mbappé should be the top scorer. So my money is going to be on him, Julian Álvarez of Argentina and Erling Haaland.”
England: Semi-finals at Least, But Tuchel Was Hired to Win It
Shaun tips England to reach the semi-finals and believes Tuchel’s no-nonsense approach to selection is exactly what the team has needed.
On whether the semi-finals would be a satisfactory outcome, Shaun is unambiguous:
“Tuchel was hired for one purpose and one purpose only — to win the World Cup. Anything less than victory is going to be seen as a failure.”
“The one thing I love about Thomas Tuchel is that he’s a man of his word. He doesn’t pick stars, he doesn’t pick reputations.
Three Players He Wouldn’t Have Picked
“Dan Burn is lucky to get in — I know he’s a Tuchel favourite, but I don’t know what he adds and he’s not quick. He might be an emergency reserve left back, but I wouldn’t have taken him.
“I certainly wouldn’t have taken Jordan Henderson, who is going to break the record for the most appearances for England at any major tournament with seven consecutive appearances. If you want an experienced cheerleader, fine — but I don’t know why he was needed.
“With John Stones, although he’s a quality footballer, at least the advantage is he hasn’t played that much — so if he’s fit, he’s relatively fresh.”
Shaun is considerably warmer about the inclusions of Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins.
“I’m glad Tuchel has brought Ivan Toney — I definitely would have taken him. Not only is he super fit at 29, he’s motivated.
“People have been denigrating the Saudi league, but in Saudi Arabia the temperatures are about 35 to 40 degrees, he’s been scoring goals and he’s a penalty taker.
“He’s the ideal player to bring on and rest Harry Kane during the group matches. And I’m glad Ollie Watkins has returned to form — he’s a big game player who knows how to score in major tournaments.”
His predicted England starting XI:
“Declan Rice has got to have the discipline to be that holding midfielder, allowing Bellingham to operate in that number 10 role and give Kane the service he needs.
“Harry Kane is not just a goalscorer, he’s a footballer who drops deep and loves to play those passes. And that’s when someone like Rashford, who can also play the number nine role, has got to be alive and switched on.
“I’ve got high hopes for this England team. One thing about Tuchel, when he was at Chelsea, he won three major trophies in six months. He’s a big match temperament manager.”
Scotland to Finally Time Escape the Group Stage?
Shaun tips Scotland to finally break their group stage curse — but offers a word of caution about their opening opponents.
“If they can’t get out of a group of four with three teams progressing, that’s really wrong.
“The key game is when they play Haiti. I remember Haiti in 1974 when they beat Italy 1-0, don’t underestimate these teams.
“I think this will finally be the time that Scotland get out of the group stage. I’m expecting them to actually do it this time.”
The Heat, the Fatigue and the Danger for the Favourites
Shaun is clear-eyed about the conditions this tournament will be played in and what they could mean for the favourites. No team is immune.
“Any of the big teams, the likes of Brazil, France, Spain can all massively disappoint. Remember, we’re playing in a competition where the humidity is going to be stifling.
“We saw in the Club World Cup last year the weather extremes, and games possibly getting cancelled because of lightning strikes and extreme heat.
“I think the key factor is the long seasons all these players have had across the whole of European football. Some of these players have been playing all year round for the last 12 months and that really takes its toll.”
48 Teams Is Too Many, and 64 Would Be ‘Pathetic’
On the expansion of the tournament to 48 teams, Shaun pulls no punches — and reserves particular disdain for what he sees as the direction of travel.
“FIFA president Infantino is a populist and a sycophant all rolled into one.
“You want the game to be expanded, it’s a beautiful game, it’s a world game. But I thought 32 was the right number. And they’re talking about expanding it to 64 for the centenary edition in four years’ time, that’s going to be pathetic.”
Shaun isn’t against smaller nations participating, far from it. It’s the volume that concerns him.
“I loved it when the World Cup was just 16 nations up until 1978. Only the best 16 teams in the world had to go through rigorous qualifying to make it.
“32 is a really good number, eight groups of four, top two go through, round of 16, quarterfinal, semifinal, final.
“But with 48 it’s just going to be too much football, playing in that searing heat. You want to see nations like Jordan, Uzbekistan, Curaçao and the Cape Verde Islands participating, that is fantastic for the game.
“But by the same token, we are diluting the quality by having far too many teams. There’s a balance to be struck and I think we’ve overstepped it.”
More News:
9min 
5min 
4min 
4min 
Reader comments