Former Italy striker Cristian Vieri has named France and Argentina as the “nailed-on favourites” to win the 2026 World Cup, claiming Les Bleus possess “the most complete squad” in the tournament. The ex-Inter forward also delivered a blunt assessment of the Azzurri’s current talent pool, suggesting only two national team players are good enough to feature in Didier Deschamps’ strongest eleven.
Italy will miss a second consecutive World Cup after suffering play-off final heartbreak against Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of March. Despite this absence, Vieri believes goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and midfielder Sandro Tonali possess the quality to break into his tournament favourites’ starting line-up.
France ‘too strong’ for rivals
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Vieri left little doubt about which nation heads into the 2026 finals as the team to beat. “France are the most complete, there is no competition. They’re too strong,” he stated.
The 50-year-old identifies France and reigning champions Argentina as the clear favourites to lift the trophy. He reserved special praise for Argentina’s Lionel Messi, who will be 39 when the tournament concludes. “Messi defies all logic. He’s like Harry Potter, he’s making magic even at 39 years old,” Vieri said. “He’s in a different category, there is no comparison with the others.”
Golden Boot battle
Vieri views the race for the tournament’s top scorer as a three-way contest between Messi, France captain Kylian Mbappe and Norway’s Erling Haaland. “He, Mbappe and Haaland will play for the Golden Boot,” he predicted.
The former striker also expects Mbappe to surpass the all-time World Cup scoring record. “As for the all-time top scorer rankings, though, there is no competition. Mbappe is younger, he will get another six or seven goals at the next World Cup and will leave everyone behind,” he told the Italian daily.
Beyond the leading trio, Vieri warned that Norway and Brazil are “almost among the favourites” to challenge for the title.
Azzurri quality check
When asked directly which Italy players could improve the French squad, Vieri offered a concise verdict: “Yes, Donnarumma and Tonali.”
The Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper and Newcastle United midfielder represent rare bright spots for an Italy side that will watch the 2026 finals from home. Vieri’s assessment underlines the gap he perceives between the Azzurri’s current generation and the elite nations competing for the 2026 title.