The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off today across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. NFL players have opinions, too, and the Detroit Lions guard Christian Mahogany made his opinion very clear at OTAs.

In an Instagram video posted by the Lions, players were asked to pick their World Cup champion. Mahogany went straight after England and did not hold back.

"France or Spain. England has no shot. Harry Kane's too old. They took out Cole Palmer. They left a lot of guys off, so England out," Mahogany said, via the Detroit Lions Instagram. "I would love to see Brazil win, just because of Neymar."

Mahogany, a 25-year-old guard, was drafted by the Lions in the sixth round in the 2024 NFL Draft. He made 11 starts in 2025 as he was sidelined due to an injury. Clearly, he watches his football outside of the NFL, too.

Kane is 32 years old and England's captain and all-time leading scorer. He scored 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich this season. So calling him too old is a stretch. But the Palmer point is fair.

England manager Thomas Tuchel left Palmer out because of a difficult season at Chelsea, where he scored just 11 goals and missed nearly three months with a groin injury. Palmer scored in the Euro 2024 final two years ago. Going from that to being dropped entirely is a massive fall.

ESPN reports that Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Maguire also missed the cut. Such omissions raised real questions for a country with real World Cup ambitions.

The Players Tuchel Left Behind and Why It Has Everyone Talking

Manager Thomas Tuchel has left Cole Palmer and Phil Foden out of England’s final 26-man World Cup squad. They both had tough seasons at their clubs and paid the price, according to ESPN.

Other absentees included Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Maguire. Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol said it was "probably the most shocking since 1998," and it's hard to disagree with that.

Kane remains the focus of England, with Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice also in the team. But the absences of Palmer, Foden, and Alexander-Arnold have raised serious questions about how far England can go in the knockout stages.

Mahogany had his verdict already. England is out.

What do you make of Mahogany’s take on the World Cup? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore