England’s Predicted Squad for the 2026 World Cup

With the tournament kicking off across the United States, Canada and Mexico in just a few days, England’s predicted squad for the 2026 World Cup has gone from guesswork to confirmed fact. Thomas Tuchel named his final 26 at the start of June, and the list split opinion straight away.

England qualified comfortably for the finals, and they travel as one of the favourites, something reflected in the odds you’ll find at the Top 3 Football Betting Sites in the UK. But qualifying was the easy part. Tuchel inherited a squad stacked with attacking talent and not much obvious balance, and the choices he’s made tell you a lot about how he wants this team to play.

Below, we run through who made the plane, who didn’t, and how the Three Lions are likely to line up.

Thomas Tuchel’s Confirmed 26-Man Squad

Tuchel is only the third foreign manager to lead England at a World Cup, after Sven-Göran Eriksson and Fabio Capello, and the first German in the job. International football is new territory after a club career at Chelsea, PSG and Bayern Munich. His final 26 leans towards experience and tactical flexibility rather than raw youth, though there’s a healthy crop of first-time tournament players in there too.

Here’s the full squad by position:

• Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Manchester City)
• Defenders: John Stones (Manchester City), Marc Guéhi (Manchester City), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Reece James (Chelsea), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen)
• Midfielders: Declan Rice (Arsenal), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Jordan Henderson (Brentford)
• Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli)

A few names jump out. Jordan Henderson, at 35, heads to a record-equalling fourth World Cup and a seventh major tournament with England. Ivan Toney’s recall from the Saudi Pro League was the biggest surprise of all. Tuchel pointed to his penalty record, aerial presence and knack for changing a game when England are chasing it. And the likes of Burn, Livramento, Quansah and Madueke are all off to their first senior tournament.

England’s Predicted Starting XI for the 2026 World Cup

Picking the 26 is one thing; picking the eleven who start against Croatia is another. Based on Tuchel’s selections through qualifying and the pre-tournament camp, here’s the most likely line-up in his preferred 4-2-3-1:

Pickford; James, Stones, Guéhi, O’Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane.

The spine that picks itself

Some calls were pretty obvious. Pickford remains the undisputed number one despite a noisy goalkeeping debate behind him. Declan Rice anchors the midfield. And Harry Kane, England’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, is the first name on the teamsheet. Fresh off a Bundesliga title with Bayern and the first major trophy of his career, the captain leads the line once more, chasing the one prize that has so far eluded him.

The battles still up for grabs

Further forward, Tuchel has many options:

• The number 10 role: Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers are all genuine candidates. Bellingham’s pedigree gives him the edge, but Eze’s form has made it a real contest.
• The left wing: Marcus Rashford, rejuvenated after his loan at Barcelona, is competing with the pace of Anthony Gordon for the spot alongside Kane and Saka.
• The deeper midfield berth: Elliot Anderson and Kobbie Mainoo are jostling to partner Rice. It’s a fascinating choice between Anderson’s energy and Mainoo’s composure.

Bukayo Saka, meanwhile, is nailed on down the right, one of the few attacking certainties Tuchel can lean on.

The Big Omissions

England’s strength in depth means world-class players were always going to be left at home. Even so, some of the cuts landed hard:

• Cole Palmer and Phil Foden: two creative mainstays of recent squads, both squeezed out of a crowded number 10 picture
• Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luke Shaw and Lewis Hall: full-back casualties
• Harry Maguire: left out at centre-back after years of service
• Jarrod Bowen, Conor Gallagher, Levi Colwill and Adam Wharton: all unlucky to miss out

Tuchel admitted the conversations were difficult and the decisions painful. With 55 players in the wider picture, leaving out that calibre of talent was unavoidable. But if England struggle in the group stage, those omissions will be the first thing fans point to.

How Far Can England Go?

England have landed in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama. On paper it’s a kind draw, and anything but topping the group would disappoint. The fixtures:

• 17 June: England vs Croatia, Dallas Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
• 23 June: England vs Ghana, Boston Stadium (Foxborough, Massachusetts)
• 27 June: Panama vs England, New York New Jersey Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)

The bookmakers have England among the top handful of contenders to lift the trophy, behind the usual heavyweights but firmly in the mix. Croatia, with their tournament know-how, look the main threat to top spot.

The Verdict

England’s World Cup squad is likely to split opinion, much like the manager who picked it. There is no shortage of talent, particularly in attack, and plenty of players who have been through the pressure of major tournaments before. But there are still doubts over the balance of the side, whether the midfield has enough legs, and how quickly Tuchel can get everything to click. The defeat to Japan exposed some familiar weaknesses, although Kane’s winner against New Zealand offered a more encouraging glimpse of what this team can be.

Sixty years after England’s only World Cup triumph, expectations remain as high as ever. The quality is there. The challenge for Tuchel is turning that quality into a team capable of delivering when the stakes are highest. The squad is settled; now comes the part that matters.