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José Mourinho, speaking exclusively on the Beast Mode On Podcast, has tipped Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal to make a strong bid for the World Cup trophy, while also naming England among the leading contenders. The Portuguese manager, who recently returned to Real Madrid for his second stint at the Santiago Bernabéu, explained why he would prefer his Madrid players to make early exits from FIFA’s premier event in North America.

Real Madrid stars chasing World Cup glory

A number of Real Madrid’s high-profile players are expected to play key roles for their national teams at the tournament. Jude Bellingham has been dazzling in the No.10 role for England, Kylian Mbappé has become France’s all-time top scorer, and Vinícius Júnior has guided Brazil comfortably into the last 32.

All of them are aiming to lift the most coveted trophy in world football, competing alongside legends like Ronaldo—who has made history by scoring in a sixth World Cup—and Argentina’s icon Lionel Messi, now the competition’s all-time leading goal scorer.

Mourinho backs Portugal and England to shine

Discussing the battle for World Cup supremacy, Mourinho told host Adebayo Akinfenwa on the Beast Mode On Podcast that he expects Portugal to make a serious run for the title: “They should [go all the way and win the World Cup]. They are not alone. Of course, there are other contenders.”

He added, “I always say England [will be in contention to make the final]. I look at the players, and we come from that generation of [Frank] Lampard, [Steven] Gerrard, [John] Terry, [Rio] Ferdinand, [David] Beckham. Since then, I’ve always said England, and then it doesn’t happen, but I always say England.”

‘The best players are in England’

Backing up his belief that England have the strength to go far in North America, Mourinho continued: “Arsenal lost the Champions League final, but they were there. Crystal Palace won the Conference League. Aston Villa won the Europa League. Apart from Barcelona, Bayern, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain, the best players are in England.”

“When you lose on penalties, you’re talking about small details—and they lost on penalties once, in Euro 2004 in Portugal… Portugal beat them on penalties too. Penalties are just little moments.”

“I think they have more pressure than anyone else because of the media. And the media, at the end of the day, influence the fans a lot—especially in England. Expectation. Responsibility. They couldn’t handle it. They’ve always had good coaches, and they have another good coach now. I always believe they can [win the World Cup].”

France could field three teams

Mourinho also praised France’s incredible squad depth, noting their array of attacking talent including Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola, and Désiré Doué. He further stated that Brazil would always remain a threat under the leadership of Carlo Ancelotti.

He said, “You look at France, and they could play with three different teams and still be contenders. And then Spain, Argentina, Brazil—people might say they aren’t as talented as in the years they won, but I always say a coach like Carlo [Ancelotti] makes a difference.”

“Even after a poor match or a draw against Morocco, it looks like a storm has hit… but not for Carlo. I always trust Carlo to make a difference. Portugal are fantastic too, with an incredible squad.”

Mourinho jokes about wanting his Madrid players back early

The former manager of Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Manchester United admitted he will be closely monitoring how Real Madrid’s stars perform on the grandest stage, as he begins his latest three-year spell in the Spanish capital.

In addition to Bellingham, Mbappé, and Vinícius, France’s squad includes Aurélien Tchouaméni and new signing Ibrahima Konaté, while goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois represents Belgium, Antonio Rüdiger features for Germany, Federico Valverde plays for Uruguay, and summer addition Marc Cucurella aims for another major title with Spain.

While many of them could go far in the tournament, Mourinho joked about his true wish for the rest of the World Cup: “I want Real Madrid players to lose and go on holiday because I want the guys back for pre-season!”

The full episode of the Beast Mode On Podcast featuring José Mourinho can be watched on the official YouTube channel, and listeners can also catch complete episodes on Spotify.

Mourinho appeared on the podcast as part of his collaboration with Coca-Cola, whose ‘Jose vs Mourinho’ project features two AI versions of the legendary coach debating World Cup topics daily during the tournament.