Jesse Lingard assesses England's World Cup chances & reveals contact with Neymar after surprise Corinthians transfer

Lingard backs England for World Cup glory

Having been a key part of the England squad that reached the World Cup semi-finals in 2018, Lingard knows exactly what it takes to succeed on the international stage. Watching from afar after his move to Corinthians, the 33-year-old is convinced that Tuchel's current side has the quality to finally secure silverware in North America this summer.

“We've always had a good chance,” Lingard said in an interview with the

Connecting with Neymar in South America

Life in Brazil has already brought Lingard into the orbit of some of the game's biggest icons. The Corinthians new boy revealed that he has been in touch with Neymar, who is back on the books of his boyhood club Santos. Lingard is relishing the opportunity to potentially face the former Barcelona man on the pitch when Corinthians cross paths with Santos in the near future.

"It's always good to play against world-class players," Lingard explained. "You can test yourself against some of these guys."

Reflecting on a famous viral moment where he teased ex-Man Utd team-mate Marcus Rashford for chatting with Neymar about the weather, Lingard joked that he might use the same tactic. "There'd be too many memes about that, to be honest," he laughed. "I might mention the Brazilian weather... it is sunny!"

Making history with Corinthians

The move to Sao Paulo was met with skepticism from some local pundits, but Lingard is slowly silencing his critics. He recently made history as

Despite the scrutiny, Lingard is determined to prove his enduring quality. "It's still high-level football," he insisted. "I think I can play at a high level. For me, it was just about the competition - how big the club is here, how big the league is. I had offers on the table, but I still test myself out. I've come here to lift a trophy."

Adjusting to the Brazilian culture

Beyond the pitch, Lingard is navigating the unique pressure of playing for one of Brazil's best-supported clubs. He has already witnessed the legendary passion of the Timao faithful, including fans visiting the training ground to demand better results. "I'd never experienced it before," he explained. "Fans going into the training ground... speaking to us. You see how passionate they are for us to do well and win. It only gives us more reason to win on a matchday."

Communication is the next challenge on his list. While he relied on a translator during his time in South Korea with FC Seoul, Lingard is determined to master Portuguese to fully integrate into life in Sao Paulo. "The Korean language was very difficult," he noted. "I picked up a few words, but I feel like here I could actually learn the language."