Owen's World Cup Masterplan: Swap Three Attackers at Half-Time. Yeah, Right.

England kick off their 2026 World Cup campaign on Wednesday with Thomas Tuchel's squad facing Croatia in their opening fixture. Ghana and Panama await in the group stage before the serious business of the knockout rounds beckons, with the quarter-finals representing a realistic minimum target for the Three Lions.

The sweltering conditions across North America present a genuine challenge for European sides unaccustomed to such heat, but Michael Owen reckons he's cracked the code. His solution? Scrap the notion of continuity entirely.

Owen's thesis centres on wholesale attacking changes at the interval. Rather than asking Harry Kane's supporting cast to manage their energy across 90 minutes, the former Liverpool man proposes swapping all three attacking midfielders or wingers between the halves. This keeps the likes of Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke rotating fresh, he reasons.

"This may sound radical, but here is my plan for England to win the World Cup – change the three attacking players behind Harry Kane at half-time," Owen told The Daily Mail.

"We know conditions are going to be limiting and we have seen that already with the temperatures in North America and Mexico. Thomas Tuchel has also warned about matches being slow and potentially won by his 'special teams' from the bench late in the game. I agree with him – this World Cup will be won by attacking players who are fresh."

The logic, superficially, contains a kernel of sense. England's attacking depth is genuinely impressive. Why not exploit it? Owen's reasoning continues that instructing the opening-half starter to "empty the tank" for 45 minutes before handing over to their replacement maximises both intensity and recovery.

"So why not quicken things up and play to our strengths?" Owen continued. "There is so much debate as to who should play on the left, who should play in the middle, who should play on the right. It is because we have brilliant options in all of those positions. My solution – play them all!"

It's a philosophy that rather neatly demonstrates precisely why Owen has steered clear of management since hanging up his boots. Tactical coherence, shape, understanding between players, and the accumulated rhythm of a functioning attacking unit apparently don't factor into this particular blueprint.

Owen does emphasise the need for England to differentiate themselves from their rivals. Set-pieces merit attention, he argues, though he cautions against becoming entirely predictable and ponderous in pursuit of dead-ball opportunities.

"I said it was radical, but I'm not sure England can win this tournament if they just do the same as everyone else," Owen added. "Set-pieces are another point of focus and potential for difference, but that does not mean every game has to be stodgy and slow and waiting for a free-kick or corner. That, for me, limits your margin for victory. Our best players are in attack – back them and let them do what they do best."

When it comes to his outright prediction for the tournament, Owen plumps for France as the most likely champions. Didier Deschamps' squad possesses superior attacking talent and depth compared to any other nation, he contends, with the added advantage of experience from two consecutive finals appearances.

"I think that will be France," Owen predicted. "Their attacking players, the quality and the depth, are better than any other country, including England. They have the best squad, a manager in Didier Deschamps who has won it before and some players who have been to the last two finals."

Germany earns his "dark horse" designation, a label that feels somewhat generous given their historical pedigree at major tournaments. Owen notes he'd been tipping them for a surprise run even before their seven-goal demolition of Curacao on Sunday.

The trophy presentation is scheduled for 19 July.