England World Cup 2026 team guide

This article is portion of nan Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a practice betwixt immoderate of nan champion media organisations from nan 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is moving previews from 3 countries each time successful nan run-up to nan tourney kicking disconnected connected 11 June.

The plan

Qualifying was a doddle. England cruised done it, signaling 8 wins from 8 games, 22 goals scored and nary conceded, but nan guidance was hardly taxing. As truthful often nan mobility is really nan Three Lions will fare erstwhile they travel up against nan very champion successful a knockout tie.

Over to Thomas Tuchel, then. Brought successful aft a bid of adjacent misses nether Gareth Southgate, nan German has been tasked pinch getting England complete nan line, ending 60 years of wounded for nan men’s side. The aim, Tuchel said astatine his unveiling successful October 2024, is to “to effort and put a 2nd prima connected nan shirt”. But nan erstwhile Chelsea head is realistic astir his side’s hopes this summer. “We can’t beryllium 1 of nan favourites arsenic we haven’t won it for truthful long,” Tuchel said this week. “There are proven winners wrong nan tournament. These are nan favourites.”

It has not been nan easiest build. There person been immoderate missteps nether Tuchel – performances against Andorra and Senegal past summertime drew a antagonistic consequence – but location person been immoderate good outings. England are bully erstwhile they person a shared purpose. Tuchel has talked astir building a brotherhood. He has looked to instrumentality nan correct civilization successful nan campy and he has a talented squad. He made immoderate bold calls pinch his squad, omitting Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold but taking Ivan Toney, and appears to person recovered clarity.

Expect England to statement up successful a 4-2-3-1 system. They person enviable attacking options, a big of No 10s and Declan Rice, 1 of nan champion midfielders successful nan world. There are, however, mobility marks complete nan protect options and, arsenic ever, fittingness concerns complete cardinal players. As for Tuchel’s narration pinch Jude Bellingham, that will request to beryllium handled carefully. If nan Real Madrid midfielder is successful nan mood, he could beryllium nan subordinate who helps England assistance nan trophy.

It was important that Bellingham played good arsenic England eased to warm-up wins complete New Zealand and Costa Rica successful Florida. “This will hopefully beryllium an astonishing experience,” Tuchel said aft beating Costa Rica.

The coach

A German managing England? It mightiness beryllium jarring to some, but nan point astir Thomas Tuchel is that he is an anglophile. He gets nan civilization and he is 1 of nan champion managers successful nan world. Tuchel won convention titles pinch Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, while winning nan Champions League pinch Chelsea successful 2021 showcased his mastery of knockout football. However, this is his first foray into world football. Southgate was outstanding astatine creating nan correct situation during a tournament. Can Tuchel, who precocious extended his statement done to Euro 2028, make judge that nan garment does not consciousness heavy?

Star player

Harry Kane is England’s grounds goalscorer and nan skipper is still nan team’s inspiration. Photograph: Dustin Markland/Shutterstock

To deliberation that location were doubts complete Harry Kane’s England early erstwhile he was substituted during nan conclusion against Spain successful nan last of Euro 2024. The striker laboured done that tournament, his performances those of a subordinate who was intelligibly not astatine 100%, but he remains nan team’s inspiration and leader. Quite simply, England do not usability without their skipper and grounds goalscorer. Tuchel needs Kane to beryllium fresh. The Bayern Munich striker has had different prolific play and a beardown World Cup will put him successful contention for nan Ballon d’Or.

One to watch

England are not short of No 10s but nan 1 who has caught nan oculus nether Tuchel is Morgan Rogers. The Aston Villa attacker produced a breakout display past September successful nan 5-0 triumph against Serbia successful Belgrade, and is weighted for his activity connected and disconnected nan ball. Tuchel loves Rogers’s counterpressing. It could mean nan 23-year-old, a self-confessed shot obsessive, is supra players specified arsenic Bellingham and Eberechi Eze successful nan pecking order. Big names to support out, but Rogers is confident. “The measurement I was arsenic a kid, I still deliberation I’m that personification now, wanting to show my state successful nan measurement I play,” he says.

Unsung hero

Declan and who? For truthful agelong nan mobility was who should play adjacent to Rice successful midfield. Southgate could not travel up pinch nan reply aft Kalvin Phillips drifted from view, but Tuchel has Elliot Anderson. The Nottingham Forest midfielder is rather nan find. He has gone from spot to spot since making his elder debut past September. On nan eve of nan tourney Forest turned down a £122m bid from Manchester City and Anderson is already a definite starter for England. “He is 1 of nan champion midfielders successful nan Premier League,” Tuchel says. “That’s why he is pinch america and starting for us. He is simply a very complete and mobile midfielder.”

Probable starting XI

Photograph: Guardian

What to expect from fans astatine games?

Get fresh for nan remainder of nan world to dress not to cognize that “It’s coming home” is an ironic, self-deprecating statement astir years of failure. The yearning goes connected but while England are usually good supported astatine tournaments this 1 has brought plentifulness of gripes complete nan cost. The Football Supporters’ Association has called summons prices “scandalous” and February brought news that England will not waste retired their charismatic FA allocation if they scope nan final. Fan groups person deed retired astatine nan greed, calling this nan rip-off World Cup.

Relationship pinch nan US/Trump?

The royal family person precocious been successful municipality truthful possibly President Trump will beryllium belting retired God Save The King earlier England games. And while Trump’s relations pinch nan UK authorities are decidedly frosty astatine nan moment, do not expect nan FA to wade into politics: nan English governing assemblage stayed retired of it erstwhile nan past World Cup was held successful Qatar. The attraction is apt to stay connected football. The FA has not been hugely vocal erstwhile it comes to defending fans complete summons prices.