England start their 2026 World Cup campaign against Croatia in Arlington, Texas, and Micah Richards thinks they have a real chance. He also thinks the heat and the conditions in the United States will make the tournament far harder than England's qualifying run suggested, and he would have liked to see Phil Foden in the squad.

Why Richards still sees England as contenders

Richards was clear about the talent available to England. Speaking to football365.com, he said: "I think England have got a real chance – there's serious talent in that squad with [Harry] Kane, [Bukayo] Saka, [Jude] Bellingham, [Declan] Rice and so forth, but there's some incredibly good sides they'll have to face and they'll need some luck."

That is a fair view, and probably the sensible one. England won all 8 World Cup qualifying matches, scored 22 goals and conceded none. They are also ranked 4th in the FIFA World Rankings, behind Argentina, France and Spain. On paper, this is not a squad arriving as an outside bet.

The heat, the conditions and the Foden call

Richards' bigger warning was about what England will face in the United States. "We have to also remember, it'll be a real challenge to adapt to the heat and the challenging conditions," he said.

That matters in Arlington, where England begin the tournament before also facing Ghana and Panama in Group L. Richards did not go overboard about the impact, but he was blunt that the environment is going to ask different questions of the team.

He was equally clear about Phil Foden missing out. "I had hoped to see Phil Foden get a call up as I think he's a special player," Richards said. That is his opinion, not a verdict on the selection itself, but it is a strong reminder that England are leaving quality behind.

If England are going to justify Richards' optimism, they need the players he named, the defensive control shown in qualifying, and a clean adjustment to the heat. Their first test comes against Croatia.

Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →