Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara believes Germany should be the front-runners for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, given they are defending their title. The Germans ended a 24-year wait for the trophy four years ago, and they now have the opportunity of becoming the first nation to reclaim the crown after the highly successful Brazilian side of the 1960s.

Speaking to Bundesliga.com, Alcantara highlighted that Joachim Loew’s side are the standout favourites for the tournament, though he does not rule out Spain’s chances, he said: “There are some clear favourites, but luck always plays a big part. World Cups always come down to the little details. Turkey reached the semis a few years back and so did South Korea. Anything can happen. Right now, I’d go for Germany because they’re the defending champions, and Brazil, Argentina, and France. You can put Spain in there too, obviously.”

The midfielder continued to speak about the progress of the likes of Belgium and Colombia in recent years, and he has backed teammate James Rodriguez to shine at the global stage once more after his top performance for the South American nation at the 2014 World Cup. Rodriguez’s showing earned him a big-club move to Real Madrid from AS Monaco, and he has since moved on to make an impression with Bayern Munich on a temporary basis.

Spain have not possessed the domination reminiscent between 2008 and 2012, and they have plenty of world-beaters in their squad most especially David de Gea, who has been in stunning form between the sticks. Alcantara missed the previous World Cup through a knee ligament injury, but he is confident that he won’t have any such setback this time around. Alcantara has been a regular with the Spain national side, having featured in 15 of La Roja’s 18 games under Julen Lopetugui.