Not England or Argentina - Gary Neville names favourites to win World Cup

Former England defender Gary Neville has declared France the team to beat at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting Didier Deschamps' side is operating "a level above" every other nation in the tournament.

Neville made the remarks following France's emphatic 3-0 victory over Sweden in the Round of 32, a performance he believes sent a powerful message to the rest of the competition.

The former Manchester United captain reserved special praise for France's formidable attacking quartet of Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, and Bradley Barcola, describing them as a nightmare for any defence.

He said, "It's a real statement, beating Sweden. We know they're the favourites for the tournament, but what we saw was precision, devastation."

Neville admitted he often analyses matches from a defender's perspective and believes France's frontline possesses unmatched quality.

He added, "I always look at games from a defensive perspective, those four attacking players that started the game will cause nightmares for every single defender at this tournament, and I don't know how you stop that."

Neville contrasted France's commanding displays with the struggles experienced by several other traditional football powers during the tournament.

Brazil required a narrow victory to progress, while Germany and the Netherlands both suffered shock eliminations in the knockout stage.

According to Neville, France has set a standard no other nation has matched.

"It's a level above. They're just showing everybody in this round how to do it. Everything they do is emphatic. It's brilliant to watch, and it's the best performance so far in the tournament.

"They're so far ahead of every other team in terms of level,” he added.

France has looked unstoppable throughout the competition, producing convincing victories in every phase of the tournament.

Les Bleus opened their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Senegal before comfortably defeating Iraq 3-0 and thrashing Norway 4-1 in the group stage.

Their impressive form continued with the comprehensive 3-0 win over Sweden, strengthening their status as favourites to lift the World Cup trophy.

France will next face Paraguay, who booked their place in the next round after stunning Germany on penalties earlier this week.