Micah Richards rates England’s chances at World Cup without ‘special player’ – ‘I had hoped…’ | OneFootball

Micah Richards has spoken to Football365 about England’s chances at the 2026 World Cup, while he also named a “special player” he would have liked Thomas Tuchel to include in his squad.

England will begin their World Cup campaign in Arlington, Texas against Croatia, and they will also face Ghana and Panama in Group L.

The Three Lions – who won all eight of their World Cup qualifying matches, scoring 22 goals and conceding none – are among the tournament favourites.

Tuchel’s side are ranked fourth in the FIFA World Rankings after Argentina, France and Spain.

Former Manchester City right back Richards earned 13 caps for England between 2006 and 2012.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Football365, Richards gave his verdict on England’s hopes of lifting their first trophy in 60 years.

“I think England have got a real chance – there’s serious talent in that squad with [Harry] Kane, [Bukayo] Saka, [Jude] Bellingham, [Declan] Rice and so forth, but there’s some incredibly good sides they’ll have to face and they’ll need some luck,” said the 37-year-old.

“We have to also remember, it’ll be a real challenge to adapt to the heat and the challenging conditions.”

Asked for his thoughts on the squad selected by Tuchel, Richards said: “There’s always a couple you look at and think they’ve been a little unlucky.

“I had hoped to see Phil Foden get a call up as I think he’s a special player. Cole Palmer may count himself a little unfortunate too, as can Morgan Gibbs-White after such an excellent season.

“It’s not easy – we’ve got so many talented players and Tuchel has picked the squad he will believe gives us the best chance of winning.”

Best Worst Team

Richards was speaking after playing a prominent role in Specsavers’ Best Worst Team YouTube series.

The series follows the fortunes of Warley FC – a Sunday league side in Essex, who were labelled the worst football team in the country after losing 18 of their 20 matches and conceding 81 goals in the 2024/25 campaign.

Richards – who retired from playing in 2019 – took on the assistant manager role at Warley during the 25/26 season and helped the team achieve a much-improved fourth place finish after they won 10 of their last 12 games.

The Premier League winner revealed what he enjoyed most about his first experience of coaching.

“As assistant manager, I loved working with the lads on some small changes that made a big impact on the pitch,” said Richards.

“Communication was a big thing for them. When I started, they weren’t talking enough to each other, and their fitness needed some work, but James Milner gave us a bit of help with that.

“I’d say I tried to bring a bit of structure to the chaos – helped with the mindset side of things, talked through some ideas around how we set up. I’d like to think I brought some energy and a fresh pair of eyes.

“When I look at where the club started, four points, and where they ended up, fourth in the league, it’s unbelievable and a real testament to them.

“Something clicked and you could see it on the pitch too, not just the table. The mentality shifted. The lads started believing.

“The lads were brilliant to work with, and we’ve shared moments I’ll never forget.”

Asked if anything surprised him, Richards said: “The team’s commitment blew me away. These lads are, of course, only playing Sunday League for the love of the game, and still turning up and giving everything for the club – it’s proper passion.

“That’s without considering how much work goes on behind the scenes just to keep things running.

“From being statistically one of the worst teams in the country, to turning it around and finishing fourth in their division is something they should be proud about.

“With a little help from the likes of Jonny Marsh, James Milner and Joe Cole (who featured in the series), they went from kebabs and pints to salads and electrolytes in no time!”

Richards also addressed whether he would be open to more coaching opportunities in the future: “It’s given me a real respect for coaching at every level – it’s not easy!

“After the success at Warley, who knows what my future coaching roles look like!”