England national football team coach Thomas Tuchel said his team is not the favorite to win the World Cup, which begins on Thursday in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
According to forecasts, England is the third favorite to win the title, behind Spain and France, but has not won a trophy since 1966.
Tuchel said that the lack of trophies at previous major competitions meant that England was lagging behind other national teams in the hierarchy.
"We can't be one of the favorites because we haven't won a trophy for so long. There are proven tournament winners, those are the favorites. We can compete for the trophy and dream big. We know what it takes. Our responsibility is in the effort, that's the focus, we see ourselves as competitors and challengers. We want to go all the way. I don't think we're big favorites, but we want to win," Tuchel said, as reported by Sky.
Sports statistics company Opta has published an estimate of the probability for the World Cup, which is being held in the USA, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, and has declared the current European champion Spain as the first favorite with a 15,9 percent chance of triumph.
France is the second favorite with 13,2 percent, England is third with 10,9 percent, and defending champions Argentina is fourth favorite with 10,5 percent. Behind them are Portugal, Brazil, Germany and the Netherlands.
"We know what is needed. A calm mind and focus on our steps are needed. If we want to reach the top of the mountain, we go step by step, otherwise we will get distracted. I have faith, but then it comes with responsibility, hard work, discipline and facing failures. We dare to dream," the German coach said.
At the last World Cup in Qatar, England lost to France in the quarter-finals, while at the previous two European Championships, England played in the finals and were defeated by Italy and Spain.
"In recent tournaments, England have been there, semi-finals, finals. When you reach the quarter-finals you can win every competition and go all the way. It's important not to swallow the tournament in one go, we are in training camp now and the next stage is the group stage. In club football I always make sure we win the group, that you don't get distracted or think too much," Tuchel said.
"We will have full respect for our opponents and we should not underestimate the amount of luck that is needed with injuries and decisions. We are taking it one step at a time. At the moment we are exactly where we need to be," added the England manager.
England will play in Group L at the World Cup with Croatia, Ghana and Panama.
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