Roy Keane has cast doubt over England’s chances of bringing football home this summer, just weeks before the 2026 World Cup kicks off.

The Irishman has stated there are three countries better placed to lift the biggest prize in world football in the United States, Canada and Mexico-hosted tournament. Thomas Tuchel caused a major stir with some of the selections he made in his 26-man squad, and Keane has identified a clear ‘weakness’.

The Three Lions will face Ghana, Panama and Croatia in the group stage, and are among the favourites to win the whole tournament. However, the former Manchester United captain is far from convinced.

Roy Keane Names His Three World Cup Favourites

Keane will be part of ITV’s team of pundits covering the 2026 World Cup this summer. Ahead of a busy schedule, the 54-year-old has given his honest prediction when asked who he thinks can go all the way.

Snubbing England, he first put France forward, saying: “The French, that squad’s fantastic.” Keane then suggested reigning European champions, Spain, are also leading contenders. He continued:

“I’m going to throw Argentina in there as well, obviously, one of the South Americans will always turn up,” he concluded. Lionel Messi will be looking to retain the trophy he spent his whole career pursuing, and Keane believes the South Americans are in with a good chance.

Keane ‘Worried About England’ at the World Cup

There’s one area of the pitch where Keane believes the Three Lions will struggle against other major nations. That being the backline. Harry Maguire and Trent Alexander-Arnold were the notable defensive absentees when Tuchel announced his squad in May.

“I’m worried about England defensively,” Keane told The Sun. He even thinks that will be what ‘holds England back’ in the knockout stages. He said:

Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Nico O’Reilly and Reece James appear to be the strongest contenders to start in Tuchel’s backline when all fit. Despite his reservations about the defensive side of the game, Keane did admit Harry Kane could be key at the other end of the pitch.

“They obviously have a brilliant player in Kane. I think when you’ve got Kane, you are always in with a chance, but I think defensively they might come up short,” he explained. That’s a lot of pressure on the 2026 Ballon d’Or contender’s shoulders this summer.

After winning the Premier League and falling short in the Champions League final, Arsenal’s summer transfer window might just provide them with the talent to win it all.

Investment is inevitable. The squad that delivered the title and went within a shoot-out of European glory is a strong one, but Mikel Arteta should know better than most that standing still in football is the same as going backwards. Several areas of the squad are being assessed this summer, and in the midfield and attacking third in particular, reinforcements are being sought to give Arsenal the depth and quality their ambitions demand.

One name that has risen firmly to the top of their shortlist is one of the most exciting young talents in the Premier League, a midfielder whose development in the last two seasons has caught the attention of clubs across Europe.

Aston Villa, however, have drawn a clear line in the sand, insisting they will only engage with offers in excess of £80 million.

Not everyone, though, is convinced the move would serve the player’s best interests. And one of football’s most outspoken voices has delivered a very direct warning.

Richard Keys Urges Morgan Rogers to Snub Arsenal Move

Morgan Rogers has been identified as Arsenal’s primary target, and it’s his potential move to north London that’s drawn the ire of veteran broadcaster Richard Keys, who took to X to make his feelings abundantly clear:

The reference to Eberechi Eze is a rather harsh one. The former Crystal Palace forward joined Arsenal last summer for £67.5 million, and though he found regular starts harder to come by than many had anticipated, he was still productive.

Keys’ implication is clear, that Arsenal’s squad depth and Arteta’s rotation-heavy approach can stifle players who arrive expecting to be first choice, and that Rogers should think carefully before walking into a similar situation.

Does an Arsenal Move Make Sense for Morgan Rogers?

Arteta has demonstrated a consistent ability to develop young English talent, and the platform on offer, Champions League football, a title-winning environment and one of the best coaches in the world, isn’t something that comes around often. But he does have almost all of that in Birmingham, albeit without the label of being at a “big club.”

At £80 million, however, the pressure on Rogers to justify such a fee from day one would be enormous, but Villa have no need to roll over and be subject to relentless bidding.

Rogers is playing regularly, and he’s trusted and valued. Whether that would be guaranteed at Arsenal is a question worth asking, and one that Rogers and those around him will be weighing up very carefully this summer.

A leaked memo has revealed Donald Trump’s controversial plan to screen attendees at the UFC Freedom 250 card on the 14th of June at the White House.

The landmark event will take place on the South Lawn of the property and has been put together in order to celebrate both the USA’s 250th anniversary and President Trump’s 80th birthday.

However, it appears that Trump is set to be very particular about who is allowed to attend his birthday party. Only 4,300 spectators will be admitted to the grounds of the White House to watch the show, which will be headlined by Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje squaring off for the undisputed UFC lightweight championship.

Elsewhere on the card, Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira meet for the interim UFC heavyweight title, with former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley also in action.

UFC White House Attendance ‘Rules’ Revealed

It has been confirmed that the majority of attendees will be US military. However, a report from The Washington Post has revealed that the troops who are present will need to meet strict criteria in order to get a ticket.

According to a leaked memo obtained by the outlet, troops will need to be both in shape and wealthy in order to have the opportunity to watch the event in person.

A call has been put out for junior troops and officers to be put forward to attend UFC 250. However, there are three strict rules that any attendee must meet.

“Humiliating” – The 3 Requirements For Troops Who Attend UFC Freedom 250

Most controversially, the memo, which was circulated within the Air Force, stated that “personnel “MUST MEET CURRENT WAIST-HEIGHT RATIO and current physical fitness standard”.

This essentially means that only troops who are in peak physical condition will be admitted to Freedom 250. Critics have called the demand “humiliating”. Moreover, even if potential spectators meet that criteria, they will need to have deep pockets.

The memo makes it clear that neither Trump nor the UFC will be paying for the travel or accomodation costs for troops in attendance, meaning that attendees will need to have deep pockets in order to cover those costs.

Despite the fact that they will be covering the costs of attending themselves, troops will still be required to wear their own short-sleeve uniforms during the card.

UFC CEO Dana White has insisted that the event is not politically motivated in any way.

“You can make anything political if you want to,” White said. “I love this country like anybody on the left loves this country. I love this country like anybody on the right loves this country. This is basically me spending a ­s***load of money to celebrate the 250th birthday of America, with America and the rest of the world.”

However, the latest revelation regarding entry requirements is unlikely to do much to quieten critics of the card.