Thomas Tuchel insists England must approach the World Cup as ambitious outsiders rather than presumptive champions, arguing that history and pedigree still place other nations ahead of his team.

England arrive at the tournament backed strongly by bookmakers and buoyed by deep runs at recent competitions, yet Tuchel is adamant that status does not translate into genuine favourite tags.

We can’t be one of the favourites as we haven’t won it for so long. There are proven winners within the tournament. These are the favourites. We can compete for the trophy and dream big. We know what it takes. Our responsibility is on the effort. We see ourselves as competitors and challengers. We want to go all the way. I don’t think we’re heavy favourites, he said.

Tuchel framed England’s task as a climb that must be taken in stages, warning against the temptation to view the World Cup as a single, overwhelming obstacle. If we want to reach the top of the mountain we go step-by-step otherwise we will get distracted. I have belief but it comes with responsibility, hard work, discipline and dealing with setbacks. We dare to dream.

England’s recent record underlines both progress and frustration. They reached the World Cup quarter-finals in Qatar, losing narrowly to France, and were beaten finalists at the last two European Championships, falling to Italy on penalties and then to Spain. Tuchel argues that such experiences prove England belong among the contenders, but not yet among the serial winners.

In recent tournaments England have been there, semi-finals, finals. Once you reach a quarter-final you can win any competition and go all the way. It’s important not to digest the tournament in one piece. At the moment this is prep-camp and next stage is the group stage, he explained, stressing the need to win the group before thinking about knockout glory.

Tuchel is also juggling fitness concerns, most notably around Bukayo Saka. The Arsenal winger is still managing an Achilles issue after a gruelling club season. Bukayo is still getting there, playing through discomfort at the end of the season, but obviously managing it and playing at a high level. He is still not 100 per cent for us. It is very unlikely Bukayo starts and finishes the matches all from now on.

With a 31-strong training group in Miami and a demanding climate to adapt to, Tuchel’s message is clear: respect the favourites, embrace the grind, and let belief grow only as England climb each rung of the ladder.