"The Japanese team have got a really strong team — they could be kind of a secret." That's David Beckham, not a scout's whisper or a pundit's hot take — the former England captain putting Japan on notice ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
It's not a throwaway line either. Japan have been quietly building something serious, finishing top of a brutal Asian qualifying group and consistently punching above their weight on the biggest stages. Their 2022 World Cup campaign — beating Germany and Spain in the group stage — wasn't a fluke. A deep run in 2026 would surprise a lot of people. Their odds might be worth a second look before the tournament hype inflates them.
England's 60-year wait
Beckham's heart pick is obvious. "It's 60 years now since obviously we last won the World Cup, so it's about time," he told ABC News. Every England fan has heard some version of that sentence since 1966, but the 2026 setup — hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico — does offer the Three Lions a genuine opportunity. More games, more paths through a bloated bracket, less travel pressure.
He also flagged France, Spain, Argentina and Brazil as the realistic title contenders. No surprises there. Argentina arrive as defending champions, France have the squad depth, and Spain showed in Euro 2024 they're still capable of winning a tournament with style rather than just steel.
Beckham's own World Cup story
The 51-year-old didn't just look forward. He pointed to two personal highlights from his three World Cup appearances in 1998, 2002 and 2006:
- His free-kick goal against Colombia at France 1998 — scored on his mother's birthday — which helped England reach the knockout stages.
- Captaining England at a World Cup, which he described as his "biggest and best memory."
Now co-owner of Inter Miami CF, Beckham will be watching the tournament largely from Florida — one of the host regions — which at least means a short commute to the matches.
"There's always a surprise in a World Cup with either a player or a country that emerges," he said. In 2026, he thinks that country is Japan. Given what they've shown over the last two cycles, it's hard to dismiss it.
