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England’s World Cup Squad Predictions & Top Performers

England will head into the 2026 World Cup in North America as one of the bookmakers’ favourites to lift the prestigious trophy on July 19.

by
Football Talk
April 29, 2026

England will head into the 2026 World Cup in North America as one of the bookmakers’ favourites to lift the prestigious trophy on July 19.

The oddsmakers at Spreadex rate the Three Lions as 15/2 shots to win the World Cup. Only France and Spain are ahead of them in the outright betting market.

England are also fancied to be one the top scorers at the tournament, despite struggling in front of goal in recent friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.

Read on as we assess which players are likely to feature in Thomas Tuchel’s 26-man squad and who will be the top performers for England this summer.

Guaranteed picks

Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford, Reece James, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Nico O’Reilly, Jude Bellingham, Elliot Anderson, Morgan Rogers, Declan Rice, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane.

Tuchel will probably have the bulk of his squad already selected. It seems unthinkable that any of the 15 players listed above will not be in North America this summer.

Jordan Pickford is guaranteed to start in goal, while Marc Guehi, Declan Rice and Harry Kane form a reliable backbone for Tuchel to build around.

Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers will be fighting for the number ten position and it will be intriguing to see which way this particular battle falls.

Tuchel has issues to resolve across the pitch. Injuries and inconsistency are problematic at the back, while central midfield lacks creativity.

The England manager has plenty of options too choose from behind Harry Kane, but finding the right balance could prove to be tricky.

Almost on the plane

Tino Livramento, Lewis Hall, John Stones, Jarrod Bowen.

Tino Livramento’s ability to play in both full-back positions makes him an attractive proposition, although he will need to avoid injuries to ensure he is on the plane.

Lewis Hall is a natural left-back who looked good against Japan. He should be in the squad unless Tuchel decides Livramento’s versatility is sufficient to cover for Nico O’Reilly.

West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen should also be selected. He wouldn’t be a regular starter, but his selflessness is a vital component in any World Cup.

John Stones is Tuchel’s biggest headache. He is guaranteed to start alongside Guehi in central defence if he is fit. However, the word ‘if’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting there.

Stones and Guehi would give England a solid platform to work from this summer, and Tuchel will be desperate for the former to avoid any issues.

Sweating on their selections

Harry Maguire, Djed Spence, Ben White, Luke Shaw, Trevoh Chalobah, Jarell Quansah, Fikayo Tomori, Jordan Henderson, James Garner, Adam Wharton, Moni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Ollie Watkins, Dominic Solanke, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ollie Watkins, Danny Welbeck.

All being well, the aforementioned 19 players will be in Tuchel’s squad. That leaves seven places up for grabs and there are a plethora of players in contention.

Harry Maguire could be a sensible pick if Stones breaks down again, but Tuchel appears to prefer Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah.

Several midfielders are also sweating on selection including Adam Wharton. His eye for a pass should make him a surefire starter this summer, but Tuchel seemingly prefers functionality.

This opens the door for Jordan Henderson to be in the squad, which would be a thoroughly baffling decision if Tuchel goes down that route.

Picking a suitable understudy for Kane appears to have caused Tuchel of headaches and most of the contenders are underwhelming. Ollie Watkins is the best option, but Tuchel may overlook him.

England’s starting XI

Pickford, James, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly, Rice, Anderson, Bellingham, Saka, Kane, Gordon.

While Tuchel has plenty of decisions to make regarding his squad, selecting a starting XI should be much easier if everyone stays fit.

Pickford will start in goal, while James, Stone, Guehi and O’Reilly should be the back four. Rice and Anderson will team up in midfield, with Jude Bellingham ahead of them in the number ten role.

Morgan Rogers should get the nod on the left flank, although it would be no surprise if Tuchel started Gordon. Saka will feature on the right, with Kane up front.

The Bayern Munich striker is one of the favourites to win the Golden Boot and is crucial to England’s hopes this summer.

Wharton’s likely exclusion could prove to be Tuchel’s biggest misstep. Rice and Anderson are steady enough, but neither of them have Wharton’s passing range.