There are two types of compliments in football. The ones that are genuine and the ones that come with a subtle hint of mind games buried underneath. When Norway manager Stale Solbakken told BBC Sport that England are favourites to reach the World Cup semi-finals, it is worth figuring out which category that falls into before England fans start printing the T-shirts.
Solbakken is no mug. He has managed at a decent level across Europe and knows the game inside out, so when he talks about England with respect, it probably does come from an honest place. England have real quality throughout the squad, and on paper at least, they have the kind of depth that most nations would be genuinely envious of. A world-class goalkeeper, fullbacks who can hurt you going forward, creative midfielders, and attackers capable of producing something out of nothing. On a good day, England are a very tough team to beat.
But here is where the honest pub conversation has to happen. England have been in this position before. Favoured, fancied, and occasionally brilliant, only to find a way to make it far more complicated than it ever needed to be. Euro 2024 was a perfect example of a squad that had more than enough quality to win the whole thing but somehow turned every match into a nervy, grinding affair that aged supporters about five years per game.
The difference going into a World Cup campaign, particularly one on the scale of 2026 with the expanded format, is that consistency over a longer tournament becomes even more important. England will need to perform across multiple rounds against different styles of opposition, and that has historically been where the wheels have had a tendency to wobble.
Solbakken saying England are favourites is not exactly a wild take though. They probably are among the leading contenders alongside France, Brazil, and a handful of others. Whether that translates into actually getting there is a completely different conversation, and England fans know better than most not to get too carried away too early.
Let me know your thoughts.