World Cup
Emile Heskey EXCLUSIVE: England, France and the Messi Question
With the 2026 World Cup knockout stages now under way, Emile Heskey sits down with William Hill News to look back on the group stage and assess the tournament’s biggest performers. He picks out the teams that impressed, the standout players so far, and shares his thoughts on England’s chances as they head into the business end of the competition.
Outright Prediction
“Going into the tournament, France were my favourites. They stood out because of their strength in depth and their ability to be flexible and adaptable. They’ve got the most dangerous attacking threat in the competition, but they also look really solid at the back. For me, they’re still the team to beat.
“You can never count out Lionel Messi and Argentina. Messi is flying, and everything about the way this team is set up is built around getting the best out of him. There’s no doubt they’ve got the quality to go all the way, and they’re right up there among the favourites.
“England look like a team that’s building nicely. They haven’t really got going in the first halves, and that’s something they’ll need to address because we’ve started games too slowly. But the second halves have been a different story. Against Croatia and Panama, after the break, they were on the front foot, taking the game by the scruff of the neck and looked much better.
“I also want to mention Cape Verde. They’ve really surprised me. I didn’t necessarily think they’d make it out of the group, so it’s been great to see them exceed expectations.”
Top Goalscorer Prediction
“Argentina are set up to get Lionel Messi into dangerous positions. He gets plenty of chances, and even if he doesn’t take every chance, you always back him to put one or two away. That’s why it’s easy to see Messi going on to win top goalscorer.
“That said, Kylian Mbappé will be looking to close the gap on Messi’s all-time record. He’s got that hunger to challenge him, not just for the tournament’s top goalscorer award but for football history as well. He’ll be right on Messi’s heels, so if I had to pick one, I’d just lean towards the Frenchman.”
Golden Ball prediction
“You have to look at the French players because, if I’m saying France are going to win the tournament, then they’re going to dominate a lot of the individual awards as well. Their attacking threat is endless.
“Michael Olise has been outstanding. He’s one of the best wide players in Europe, but he’s looked just as comfortable operating in that No10 role. Everything seems to go through him, and he’s got a great chance of winning the Golden Ball.
“Ousmane Dembélé started the tournament a little slowly, but since scoring against Iraq he’s really come into his own and scored a fantastic hat-trick against Norway. He’s playing with confidence now and he’s another player firmly in the conversation for the award.
“Then you’ve got the strength in depth. Bradley Barcola might not always start, but when he comes on he frightens defenders with his pace and directness. The same goes for Désiré Doué. France have got match-winners all over the pitch.
“And that’s before you even mention Kylian Mbappé. After being runners-up to Argentina in 2022, I can see France going all the way this time, and Mbappé finishing as the tournament’s top goalscorer. Chasing Messi’s all-time goals record will give him that extra bit of motivation. If France reach the latter stages, he’ll have every chance of winning the Golden Ball too.”
