"The Japanese team have got a really strong team — they could be kind of a secret." That's David Beckham's World Cup tip, and it's not as outlandish as it might sound from a man who's been following this tournament since he was a kid in East London.
Speaking to ABC News ahead of the 2026 World Cup — spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico — the former England captain made his picks clear: England to win it, Japan to cause problems, and France, Spain, Argentina and Brazil as the traditional powers you can't ignore.
England after 60 years — and why it matters for the market
Beckham's loyalty to England is obvious. "It's 60 years now since obviously we last won the World Cup, so it's about time," he said. Easy to dismiss as sentiment from a former captain, but England have genuine structural reasons to back this time — a deeper squad, tournament experience that's been building since the 2018 semi-final run, and a coaching setup with far less chaos than previous cycles.
That said, England's odds will reflect their status as perennial nearly-men. Sixty years of hurt creates both emotional weight and betting value, depending on which way you read it.
The more interesting call is Japan. They've been quietly building something real — back-to-back knockout-stage appearances, a generation of players based at elite European clubs, and a pressing system that causes even top sides genuine discomfort. Beckham's instinct here isn't wrong. Japan's tournament odds tend to undervalue them, and if they land in a navigable group, a quarter-final run is entirely plausible.
Beckham's own World Cup memories
The 51-year-old also reflected on his playing career, pointing to France 1998 as a personal highlight — specifically the freekick against Colombia that secured England's place in the knockout stages.
- Beckham represented England at the 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cups
- He described captaining his country at a World Cup as his "biggest and best memory"
- His childhood hero was former England captain Bryan Robson
Now co-owner of Inter Miami CF, Beckham plans to watch much of the tournament from Florida — one of the host regions. He'll have a decent view. Whether England give him something to celebrate after six decades is the question the rest of the world is tired of hearing about, and England fans haven't stopped asking.
