Ally McCoist, the former Scotland striker, has assessed England as the third-strongest team remaining in the 2026 World Cup race. The pundit made the claim while discussing England's upcoming semi-final against Argentina on The Rest is Football podcast.
McCoist believes France holds the top spot at the tournament, with England sitting one place ahead of Argentina. "At this moment in time, England are the third-best team left in the tournament," he said.
However, he offered encouragement to the Three Lions ahead of their clash. "The good news is you are playing a team that I think you are better than," McCoist told listeners.
"I think England are better than Argentina."
The analyst singled out France as the standout outfit. "France looks like the best team in the tournament, but concentrate on the semi-final," he noted.
McCoist highlighted Argentina's defensive vulnerabilities as a potential weakness England could exploit. Yet he warned that Lionel Messi remains a constant threat despite his team's frailties.
"Defensively, Argentina aren't great but going forward, we know Messi is capable of doing something out of nowhere, and that is the thing you have to guard against," he added. The former striker wrapped up his assessment by expressing excitement about the impending encounter.
