Inside England's World Cup squad 2026: Thomas Tuchel's final roster will mean major subs for big stars

England are hoping that 2026 will bring an end to 60 years of World Cup hope.

The Three Lions enter the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico as one of the favourites, having swept through qualification with a perfect record of eight wins from eight.

However, disappointing friendly performances in the March international break, coupled with uncertainty around the form and fitness of some top players, has dampened some of the enthusiasm around the team's chances.

Head coach Thomas Tuchel will name his squad on Friday, and while he has a core of key figures certain to be on the plane, there are other selections that are harder to predict.

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England World Cup squad 2026

Tuchel will name his final squad on May 22, two days before the last day of the Premier League season.

Teams had until Monday, May 11 to submit to FIFA an official preliminary list of 35-55 players, from which they are required to name a final roster by Saturday, May 30.

The final list of players will be updated below once the announcement is made. Below is a predicted roster.

Caps and stats are correct as of May 21.

England injuries ahead of World Cup

One of the most recent injuries saw Arsenal's Ben White struck down by knee ligament damage, which is likely to keep him out of the World Cup.

Newcastle's Tino Livramento is the likely beneficiary of White's absence, but he has missed several games due to muscle problems this season and is not a guaranteed presence in the squad. The same could be said for Reece James, who is back playing for Chelsea but whose hamstring issues have reared their head again lately.

Dominic Solanke's recent hamstring problem has largely curtailed his season, but he was facing a battle to get into the squad anyway given the depth of attacking talent at Tuchel's disposal.

England players set for World Cup snub

Perhaps the biggest question has centred around Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has been overlooked by Tuchel in the past and may well miss out on the final squad even amid the injuries to White and Livramento. The Real Madrid right-back did make the provisional squad list, though, so he has a chance.

The other big star who could miss out is Phil Foden, who has endured a difficult couple of seasons when compared with his outstanding 2023/24 campaign in which he was named PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year. Anthony Gordon, Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka are all arguably ahead of him in the pecking order, and Noni Madueke is more likely to be picked as an alternative on the right wing.

Some have called for Luke Shaw to be included given the consistent form and fitness he has shown at Manchester United, but since his last cap came in the final of Euro 2024, a return now feels unlikely. Levi Colwill, meanwhile, is back following a long injury layoff, but Tuchel is expected to select centre-backs who have played more regularly over the past year or so.

England players to watch at World Cup

If England are to challenge for the trophy, they will need Harry Kane to maintain his goal-scoring form from club level this season. Kane scored a remarkable 58 goals in 50 games for Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in all competitions.

Behind him, Jude Bellingham comes into these finals with something a point to prove after a difficult personal and collective season at Real Madrid in which consistent form and fitness have eluded him. Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers has been outstanding throughout 2025/26 and will lay a legitimate claim to Bellingham's place in the starting XI.

Declan Rice has driven Arsenal's Premier League title victory and will unquestionably be a vital component of a successful summer for England, while Elliot Anderson alongside him has the makings of a dominant midfield.

MORE: All you need to know about England's schedule at the 2026 World Cup

Who is England coach at the World Cup?

Tuchel took over as England head coach in January 2025 after Gareth Southgate stepped down in the wake of the Euro 2024 final loss to Spain.

The German is the third foreigner to be given the Three Lions job, but unlike predecessors Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello, he came into the role with a good knowledge of English football's quirks and expectations after his largely successful time at Chelsea.

A Champions League winner with the Blues, Tuchel was selected as someone with the experience of delivering in major tournaments, with his somewhat volatile nature, which has led to confrontations with senior management at various clubs, considered an acceptable risk.

Despite guiding England through qualification with minimal fuss, he is under pressure ahead of these finals. England snatched a draw at home to Uruguay before losing to Japan in their March friendlies, and both performances were greeted with boos by the Wembley crowd.

Can England replace players on World Cup roster?

Once the final roster is official, participating teams at the World Cup could only make changes before the first game of the tournament, and only in the case of extraordinary circumstances.

According to the official tournament rules (page 32), "a player listed on the final list may only be replaced in the event of serious injury or illness up until 24 hours before the start of his team's first match."

England World Cup history

England have qualified for every World Cup since 1994, the last time the tournament was held on U.S. soil. They had a perfect record of eight wins from eight to secure a place at the 2026 finals.

It is now 60 years since the Three Lions won their first and only World Cup on home turf. Southgate got them close to success, reaching the semifinals in 2018 and managing two consecutive European Championship runner-up finishes. Four years ago, they lost in the quarterfinals to defending champions France.

There is a desperation for them to go all the way at long last, and with Tuchel in charge — a man who has won major trophies with Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich — expectation levels are high. 

• Current FIFA World Ranking: 4 (April 2026)
• World Cup titles: 1
• World Cup appearances (last): 16 (Qatar 2022)
• How England qualified, W-L-D: UEFA Group K winners, 8-0-0
• World Cup record:
  • Games: 74 GP (32 W, 22 D, 20 L)
  • Goal differential: +36(104 GS, 68 GA)

England World Cup schedule

England, as a Pot 1 team, were drawn into Group L. Their competitors in the group will be Croatia, Ghana, and Panama.

Group L fixtures

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