- Joe Hart makes his World Cup predictions
- Lots of positives to say about England
- Praise given to Man City’s Nico O’Reilly
Nico O’Reilly is making his World Cup debut this summer, and it seems Joe Hart is expecting big things from the Manchester City star.
England get things underway at the World Cup on Wednesday, and up to four Manchester City players could be involved.
Marc Guehi and John Stones will be forming a rock solid back two partnership, while James Trafford’s role will be to stand by in case Jordan Pickford gets injured.
There is also Nico O’Reilly, whose versatility means he is an option for Tuchel to utilise either on the left side of defence, or in midfield.
Joe Hart makes prediction about Nico O’Reilly
Speaking to TNT Sports, Joe Hart has made his predictions for the World Cup, and he is leaning very favourably towards England.
And when it came to choosing his emerging young talent for the tournament, the ex-goalkeeper went with O’Reilly.
Joe Hart's World Cup predictions are in 👀 pic.twitter.com/bmWt1UHePo
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) June 12, 2026
The 21-year-old will be hoping for a start next Wednesday, having featured in a recent World Cup warm-up match against Costa Rica.
O’Reilly has a battle on his hands
While O’Reilly can play all over the pitch, the Three Lions already have an array of options in the middle of the park.
Therefore, his best chance is to be selected to fill the left-back position. However, there is competition there too.
Djed Spence has also been included in the squad, after a season where he had some good individual performances.
Tottenham may have struggled in recent times, but the defender has not. In fact, he registered an assist against New Zealand, aiming a really neat cross to Harry Kane.
So if O’Reilly is going to win the race for a spot in the regular starting lineup, he needs to show how much he can offer with his all-round game.
When will O’Reilly first be in action?
If O’Reilly makes the cut for England’s World Cup opener, he will play on Wednesday night against Croatia.
Kick off is at 21:00 BST, and the match will be broadcast live on ITV 1 for those tuning in from the UK.
The lineups will drop an hour before kick off, when it will be revealed if O’Reilly will be lining up in his first ever game at the world’s biggest international competition.
