The 2026 World Cup is underway, and for Chelsea fans who are already waiting impatiently for the new club season to get underway, it’s a nice distraction that should take us through the summer almost to the point where Xabi Alonso is ready to take his first sessions as the new Blues boss.
As ever, there are plenty of Blues at the tournament for us to enjoy watching. Although perhaps not as many as we might have seen in the past. Man City have 19 players at the tournament, followed by Arsenal with 15. Then comes Man U with 13. This is where you’d expect Chelsea to slot in, but instead both Sunderland and Crystal Palace nip in with 12, while the Blues have just 11.
It’s a sign of how balanced the English top flight is these days that the top 6 are no longer the only teams dominated by internationals.
So, which Chelsea stars have the best chance of lifting the trophy this summer? Whether you look at betting sites in Nigeria or any online bookmakers, you’ll see the same thing. Spain are favourites, meaning Marc Cucurella is the most likely Blue to get their hands on the trophy.
Next up is France, a shade behind Spain. Malo Gusto is our call-up for them, and he could play more minutes than some fans would expect given Jules Kounde’s struggles at times this season.
Third favourites are Portugal, and Chelsea have representation there too – Pedro Neto has frustrated at times since arriving from Wolves two years, ago, and he faces huge competition in a stacked Portuguese attacker. But his speed and work rate is a real weapon, especially in international football where the pressing is going to be less intense.
Fouth favourites are England, and we’re so excited to see Reece James finally get his well deserved shot at a World Cup. He should be Thomas Tuchel’s first choice, and we expect him to finally show the world what he can do on the biggest stage.
Closing out the top five favourites are Argentina. Enzo Fernandez might not end the summer as a Chelsea player, but at the moment he is, and having won the last edition, he knows what it’s like to go all the way.
So while Chelsea don’t have as many players at the World Cup as previous editions, they have a representative in each of the five favourites, so there’s a very strong chance we do see a familiar face lifting the trophy in a few weeks time.
