Tuchel says Spain must be beaten to win World Cup

Thomas Tuchel has said any side aiming to win the 2026 World Cup will eventually have to beat Spain.

The England manager was speaking before Tuesday night's group-stage meeting with Ghana, which could send the Three Lions into the knockout round if they win. Tuchel pointed to Spain's recent success and repeated final appearances when asked about the tournament's leading contenders.

"Spain, because of the recent success, because of being so constantly in the final stages and reaching the finals, is one of the teams that catches my eye," Tuchel said. He added that he expects Luis de la Fuente's side to go deep in the tournament and that he believes they will have to be overcome at some stage by anyone chasing the title.

Tuchel said he only managed to watch highlights of Spain's 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia because it clashed with England training.

Elsewhere in the same press conference, Declan Rice praised Lionel Messi after the Argentina captain became the World Cup's outright all-time top scorer. Messi scored twice against Austria to move to 18 goals in the competition, passing Miroslav Klose.