Michael Owen issues World Cup 2026 warning to Harry Kane

Posted Tuesday, October 07, 2025 by tribalfootball

Michael Owen has questioned England’s prospects of winning the 2026 World Cup under Thomas Tuchel, citing concerns over age, form, and challenging conditions.

The former Liverpool striker warned that key players, including Harry Kane, could be past their peak by next summer and cast doubt on whether the squad is showing meaningful improvement.

“Star players such as Kane are getting older — he’s not going to be getting any better. While world-class players such as Kyle Walker will no longer be there,” Owen said on 247Bet,0

“Even players like Foden are not at the top of their game compared to what they were a year or two ago. Defensively, I worry too. We used to have a lot of good defenders.0

“Now I’m thinking who’s going to play left-back? Who’s going to play centre-half? John Stones isn’t getting any younger.”

He added: “I think we were probably better a year or two ago. But a lot changes in football. It might turn into a big year for us, but no, I wouldn’t be confident about us winning the World Cup at this stage.0

“We’re knocking on the door – finals, semi-finals – we’re a top footballing nation, but I think other nations may be better suited to the conditions this time.”