Galatasaray midfielder İlkay Gündoğan has identified four European nations as his early picks for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The former Germany captain made the assessment in a wide-ranging interview with German sports magazine Kicker this week, excerpts of which were shared on social media Monday by outlets including Le Marca Sports. Responding to a fan question about the tournament winner, Gündoğan said there are "a few competitive teams" but singled out Spain, France, England and Portugal as the sides to watch.
Gündoğan described France and Spain as "the most obvious ones," adding that Spain is "perhaps playing the best, the most eye-catching football."
In the interview, he said Spain is currently a step ahead of the field, while noting that France, England and strong South American teams also remain in contention. He pointed to England and Portugal for their talent pools, saying both have "great players, great squad depth, and they really play good and efficient football." The remarks came as part of a longer conversation about the German national team, his club future, and his plans to move into coaching after retirement.
The 34-year-old, born in Gelsenkirchen in 1990, captained Germany at Euro 2024 before stepping away from international duty and joining Galatasaray, where he is under contract. He now plays for the Istanbul club in the Turkish Süper Lig.