Asked to pick his favourites for the tournament, Masefield, who is part of the expert panel for ZEE5's coverage for the FIFA World Cup 2026, said Portugal\u2019s blend of quality, experience, and motivation makes them strong contenders to lift the trophy.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIf I look player-for-player, team-for-team, the groups and everything, it may shock and surprise a few people, but I\u2019m going to Portugal,\u201d Masefield told IANS in an exclusive interaction.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The former player believes Ronaldo\u2019s expected final World Cup appearance could inspire the Portuguese squad to produce something special.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cRonaldo is finally going to end his wait in the last World Cup. The players are going to do what the Argentinian team did for Messi in the last edition of the competition,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cMessi had never won the World Cup, and the team galvanised around him. It was a magnificent performance from him in the final, and they gave him a World Cup as a going-away present. He\u2019s still here for another one, but this is definitely the last song for Ronaldo,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Masefield feels Portugal have the depth and quality required to challenge for the biggest prize in football. \u201cWith the squad and the players that they have there, they could just galvanise around Ronaldo, and they\u2019ll go very deep into the competition,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Portugal's best performance at the FIFA World Cup is a 3rd-place finish in 1966. They have qualified for the finals nine times (including the 2026 edition) but have never won the tournament. Their most recent campaign in 2022 ended in the quarter-finals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Masefield also assessed England\u2019s chances under head coach Thomas Tuchel, praising the German manager\u2019s impact but stopping short of backing the Three Lions to win the tournament.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cObviously, being English, I\u2019d love to see the country do it. Thomas Tuchel has turned around, and what he\u2019s done is he\u2019s got himself a team rather than certain individuals that can have creativity and flair, and I think that can help in itself,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Masefield also assessed England\u2019s chances under head coach Thomas Tuchel, praising the German manager\u2019s impact but stopping short of backing the Three Lions to win the tournament.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
England will be looking to end their major football title drought at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the last of which came in the 1966 edition of this competition. In the intervening years, they have twice reached the semi-finals, in 1990 and 2018. But their victory on home soil 60 years ago remains the sole triumph.<\/p>\r\n\r\n