New York, June 10 (IANS) England coach Thomas Tuchel played down his team’s status as one of the favorites for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying the Three Lions must first prove themselves on the biggest stage after six decades without a title.

Tuchel was addressing the press ahead of England’s final warm-up game against Costa Rica in Orlando on Wednesday, which comes after an unconvincing 1-0 win over New Zealand in its previous match on Saturday, reports Xinhua.

“How many favorites are there?” replied Tuchel when asked if England was among the teams tipped to win the tournament.

“We’re not the top favorites. We can’t be because we haven’t won it for so many years. There are proven winners in the tournament with more success.”

“We compete, we dream big and we know what it takes. Responsibility is on the effort and that is where the focus is. We see ourselves as competitors and challengers. We want to go all the way but I don’t think we are the heavy favorites,” commented the coach.

Tuchel also discussed the decision to make Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice his vice-captain with Harry Kane the England captain.

“Declan and Harry are the two guys with the armband. Harry is our captain – no doubt about it. And Declan is our second captain. When Harry wasn’t in camp and didn’t play against Wales, we had a choice, and it was a very quick one from me to give it to Declan,” said Tuchel.

The England coach said Rice had “a high football IQ. He takes care of the formation and structure, the adaptation, and the rhythm of our game. He’s had two outstanding seasons with Arsenal… He’s one of the best midfielders in Europe at the moment, full of confidence. That’s why he is my vice-captain,” he said.

The coach also commented there was currently a “relaxed atmosphere” in the England camp, “the tension will just rise naturally, especially when we change location to Kansas and then have four days to prepare for the first game,” he explained.

England kicks off its World Cup campaign on June 17 against Croatia.

–IANS

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