Romario Names 3 England Stars Who Will ‘Make a Difference’ at World Cup

Hal picked up his MA in Sports Journalism and NCTJ qualification from St Mary's University Twickenham, Hal has since been part of Valnet since late 2021.

He started as a freelance football writer for This Is Futbol and carried that on over to FootballFanCast before becoming their social media editor. He now works as an editor for GiveMeSport, predominantly focusing on Premier League, Champions League, and English football.

He also helps GiveMeSport cover other major sports such as MMA, boxing, darts, tennis, and golf. Key events like the summer and winter Olympics are also highlights when they appear on the sporting calendar.

Hal is an Arsenal and Three Lions fan, but keeps an eye on the All Blacks, his favourite rugby team, having grown up in New Zealand. Sign in to your GiveMeSport account There are a number of favourites to win the 2026 World Cup this year, but Brazilian legend Romario does not feel as though England are among them. If the Three Lions are to have a chance, though, the iconic striker believes three men could be key.

Romario is certainly a voice worth listening to when it comes to such matters. After all, he was the best player at the 1994 World Cup, scoring five times as Brazil won the competition for the fourth time in their history. He picked up the Golden Ball as a result of his stunning displays throughout.

The United States hosted that tournament, and now 32 years later, they welcome (alongside Mexico and Canada) a new generation of talent. Romario believes England has three of the best among their ranks, but has doubts about whether that will be enough for Thomas Tuchel's men.

Speaking to the Guardian before the tournament began, Romario claimed that England have three 'smart' players who can 'make a difference' this summer. He explained:

“I like Harry Kane, [Jude] Bellingham and [Bukayo] Saka. They’re smart players, with great technique, who make a difference. They might cause a bit of a stir, but I wouldn’t put them among the favourites."

Romario then went on to explain who he believes should be viewed as the favourite for the big prize in 2026, naming six nations, including his own Brazil:

"My favourites are France, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Germany and Brazil.”

All three players were involved in Qatar 2022 as England went out to France. losing 2-1 in the quarter-finals. Harry Kane missed a penalty in that game and so will be desperate to put things right this summer. He comes into the season off the back of an astonishing season at Bayern Munich, which has made him among the 2026 Ballon d'Or favourites.

Bukayo Saka has also had a fine season with Arsenal, helping the Gunners make the Champions League final and win their first Premier League title since 2004. However, he's not always been at his best in recent months, and that can be put down to fitness issues, which unfortunately remain a problem going into the World Cup.

Tuchel recently explained how the winger isn't quite 100 per cent fit: “Bukayo is just not there yet. Some things are missing… consecutive trainings. They took very good care of him [at Arsenal] and were very aware of it and we will do a little bit the same. He is at the moment not able to do every training session through the week and then play. He is still going to be managed."

The Brazilian World Cup hero selected Lionel Messi, among others.

Unlike Kane and Saka, Jude Bellingham was unable to win any of the major prizes with Real Madrid this season, but his status as an elite player cannot be doubted. That said, at this stage it remains unclear if he will even start for the Three Lions, with Morgan Rogers potentially in line to be trusted as Tuchel's starting number 10. Whatever the outcome, Bellingham will expect to make a big impact for England - even if he has to do it coming off the bench.