Pep Guardiola backs Spain’s World Cup bid – but says his heart will follow favourite players, not one nation

Pep Guardiola says he will not support a single national team at the 2026 World Cup, insisting he will instead cheer for the players he loves and has worked with – while naming Spain, Argentina, France and Portugal as the sides he will watch most closely.

In an interview with OKX, the Manchester City manager explained that his emotional ties are to individuals rather than flags, even as he outlined the conditions he believes Spain must meet to win the tournament.

“In the World Cup I will choose the players I love,” Guardiola said. “I don’t support one national team, I always support the teams that have players I love and I played with, and I will be happy to support them.”

Guardiola’s World Cup loyalties

Guardiola, who has coached and mentored many of the world’s leading footballers across Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, said several major contenders include players he knows personally.

He highlighted three squads he will follow particularly closely in 2026: Argentina, France and Portugal.

“If Argentina win the World Cup there are players I know, and the same goes for France,” the Catalan coach said. “As for Portugal, they have players whose harmony I admire.”

His comments underline how deeply his club coaching journey shapes his international preferences, with former and current players scattered across the leading national teams.

Special focus on Argentina, France and Portugal

Argentina, the reigning world champions, are likely to include figures Guardiola has faced or followed closely throughout his career in Spain and England.

France, world champions in 2018 and finalists in 2022, also boast a number of stars familiar to Guardiola from domestic and European competition.

Portugal’s squad, meanwhile, impressed him with its collective cohesion rather than just individual brilliance. Guardiola said he is drawn to the “harmony” of their players, suggesting he values the team’s structure and unity as much as their talent.

Spain’s chances hinge on Rodri fitness

Turning to his home nation, Guardiola assessed Spain’s prospects of lifting the World Cup trophy on 19 July 2026, when the final is scheduled to be played in North America.

He argued that Spain’s pathway to another world title will depend on blending outstanding individual talent into a strong collective framework – with a particular emphasis on the role of Manchester City midfielder Rodri.

Guardiola believes Spain possess an exciting new generation of players, led by Barcelona duo Pedri and Lamine Yamal. However, he made clear that Rodri’s condition and influence will be decisive.

He said: “If Rodri can establish himself in midfield alongside Pedri and Lamine, and if he is at his best, then Spain can make the difference.”

A young core and a familiar philosophy

Guardiola’s comments reflect a familiar theme from his coaching philosophy: tournaments are often decided when exceptional individuals perform at their peak within a well-organised team.

Spain’s emerging core – with Pedri’s creativity, Lamine Yamal’s precocious talent and Rodri’s control in midfield – fits the kind of technical, possession-based football that shaped Guardiola’s own playing and coaching career.

While the 53-year-old refuses to tie his support to a single flag, his remarks suggest that, if Rodri is fully fit and Spain’s young stars deliver, his emotional investment next summer could be strongest when La Roja take the field.