Thomas Tuchel admits England not World Cup favourites, but can 'dare to dream'

[p]Most bookmakers have [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a] among the leading ‌title contenders but Tuchel reckons the six-decade drought since the nation's solitary triumph in 1966 counts ‌against them.[/p][p]The German likened England's quest at the June 11 to ‌July 19 tournament to a player without a previous title turning up at the ‌Wimbledon tennis championships.[/p][p][b]"We're not the top favourites. We can't be, because we ‌haven't won it for so, so many years,"[/b] he told reporters in Florida on Tuesday on the eve of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/costa-rica-C4ePE2kq/england-j9N9ZNFA/?mid=KjB2DklK"]England's final warm-up[/a] against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/costa-rica/C4ePE2kq/"]Costa Rica[/a].[/p][image alt="England's upcoming fixtures" id="e3e54882-facd-48e4-9976-d6d17f88890d" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="21b44606-6e77-411f-bb3c-bc1e4b0af560" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]"There are proven winners in the ‌tournament with more success in recent tournaments. So, these ⁠are the favourites, and we compete ‌for the trophy.[/p][p][b]"It's just like if you ... go to Wimbledon, you have never won ​it ... (you're) not the favourite.[/b][/p][p][b]But you can win it, of course, and we want to win it, but we know what it ​takes, and it takes also a calm mindset and focus on our steps."[/b][/p][p]Tuchel is taking charge of a team at the World Cup for the first ⁠time but said his ​experience of Champions League campaigns in club football had taught him a lot about how to approach tournament football.[/p][p][b]"It is my opinion and my conviction that once you reach the quarter-finals, you can go all the way,"[/b] he added.[/p][p][b]"I think ‌it's important not to try to digest this whole tournament in one piece, and to focus on what we can influence. At the moment, this is prep camp and then we will take care of the group stage.[/b][/p][embed guid="b57854d3-be5e-4a9b-be1c-8d4799ee5e03" url="https://x.com/England/status/2064371096346911080" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"Make sure that you go through your group, and don't get distracted by overthinking. Once you (are) in a quarter-final, then you can go all the way and then the belief will be there, but there has to be a lot of work done.[/b][/p][p][b]"We're exactly where we want to be and want to ‌take the next step tomorrow."[/b][/p][p]England kick off their campaign [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/croatia-K8aznggo/england-j9N9ZNFA/?mid=b5qGuKMs"]on June 17 in ​Dallas[/a] with a repeat of their 2018 World Cup semi-final against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/croatia/K8aznggo/"]Croatia[/a].[/p][p]Tuchel ‌said his qualification of England's chances did not reflect any doubts in his own mind, or in the camp, about the potential of the squad.[/p][p][b]"I have belief. We all have belief," [/b]he said.[b] "We all have a dream, but it comes with responsibility and hard work and commitment ⁠and discipline, and sometimes it comes ⁠with disappointment and setbacks.[/b][/p][p][b]"This is all ‌included, but ... we dare to dream and it's important."[/b][/p][infobox id="223b89ff-ddb8-4772-8cfb-8f89aea85267" /]