Arsene Wenger Backs France To Win FIFA World Cup 2026, Says Only Spain Can Stop Mbappe's Side

Former Arsenal manager and current FIFA chief of global football development Arsene Wenger believes France are favourites to win the FIFA World Cup 2026, with Spain the only side capable of derailing Kylian Mbappe's title charge due to their superior technical and collective style of play.

France's pace and momentum make them favourites

Wenger has tipped the Kylian Mbappe-led France to lift the FIFA World Cup 2026 trophy, saying their blend of pace, physicality and momentum makes them the strongest team left in the tournament.

France are set to face Morocco in the quarter-finals in a rematch of the 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-final, where Les Bleus ended the African nation's dream run. Meanwhile, Spain will take on Belgium, featuring experienced stars including Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois.

Wenger believes France have been the tournament's standout team despite their hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the Round of 16, where they were tested in a physical contest.

Speaking on the Felix and Toni Kroos Podcast, as quoted by Goal.com, Wenger said: "France will win the World Cup. I know you are going to say it is because I am French. But when you analyse the tournament a bit, the train is moving at a certain speed today. And you have to be capable of getting on board that train."

Spain alone can challenge France, says Wenger

While several European heavyweights remain in contention, Wenger dismissed the chances of Harry Kane's England, defending champions Argentina and Morocco overcoming France's strength.

He believes Spain, managed by Luis de la Fuente, possess the technical quality and collective understanding needed to trouble the two-time world champions.

Wenger said: "For me, the real question mark is Spain. If any team is capable of beating France right now, I would say it is Spain. Because they have a better technical level than France. They have a quality of collective play, and a culture of collective play, that nobody else in the world has at the moment. Not at this level, anyway. So it is between those two in my opinion. After that, of course, France is stronger physically."

If France overcome Morocco and Spain get past Belgium, Wenger's predicted showdown between the tournament's two strongest sides could become a reality later in the competition.

(With inputs from ANI)