close
Tuesday, June 16, 2026

World Cup: John Terry confident ahead of England opener against Croatia

As England prepare for their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Croatia on Wednesday evening, former England captain John Terry has expressed confidence ahead of the match.

• June 16, 2026
Three Lions’ World Cup photoshoot
Three Lions’ World Cup

As England prepare for their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Croatia on Wednesday evening, former England captain John Terry has expressed confidence ahead of the match.

SuperSport senior manager, communications and partnerships, Sibusiso Mjikeliso, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday and made available in Lagos.

Mr Terry, who is part of SuperSport’s star-studded FIFA World Cup analyst team, has been closely following England’s preparations and is optimistic about what lies ahead for his country.

The Chelsea legend believes England arrive at the tournament with one of the strongest squads in world football and a growing sense of belief that they can go all the way.

England’s World Cup journey begins against Croatia on Wednesday at 10:00 p.m., a fixture that promises to provide an early indication of whether Thomas Tuchel’s side can deliver.

For Mr Terry, optimism is not simply built on emotion or patriotism. It stems from the quality throughout the England squad and the progress made in recent years.

Another player Mr Terry believed could have made a major impact is Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose recent move to Real Madrid has made him one of Europe’s top players.

When asked who he believes stands between England and World Cup glory, Mr Terry did not hesitate.

“I would see France’s national football team as the favourites. Their attacking options and threat are so vast and so deep. They’ve got so much talent, and we’ve seen that in the Champions League and across European football this year,” Mr Terry stated.

(NAN)

We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.

More from Peoples Gazette

farmers

Agriculture

FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology

The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Katsina State

Politics

Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku

“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

UK, France, Germany, and Italy leaders

World

U.S. Deal: Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons, West warns

“Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon. We stand ready to work with the U.S., Iran and the IAEA to this end,” the E4 leaders said.

Economy

Ripple participates in Flutterwave’s Series E with strategic investment to accelerate African stablecoin payments

This investment, part of Flutterwave’s Series E funding round, sets the stage for further strategic announcements.

Afreximbank building

Economy

Afreximbank earns BBB+ investment grade rating from S&P

S&P Global Ratings has assigned the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) a BBB+ investment-grade rating.

Uncategorized

Why some sporting events create huge shifts in public predictions

Not all athletic events generate the same amount of excitement.

Nigerians in Ethiopian prison

Rights

Nigerians arrested while transiting through Ethiopia’s airport in search of greener pastures: Peter Obi

“A significant number were arrested while transiting through Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport in search of green pastures,” Mr Obi stated.

Salah, Lukaku at World Cup

Sport

2026 World Cup: Egypt, Belgium share points in 1-1 draw

Salah provided an assist for Emam Ashour’s goal in the 19th minute, before substitute Romelu Lukaku forced Egypt’s Mohamed Hany into an own goal in the 66th minute.