Home of football statistics and historyThomas Tuchel’s first England squad announcement for the World Cup qualifiers in March has caused a lot of debate with fans of the Three Lions, so we have tried to predict what his squad could look like at the 2026 World Cup.
The 2026 World Cup runs from 11th June to 19th July with matches being played in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
England will be hoping that they progress straight to the World Cup via the qualifiers. A first-place finish in their group, which features Albania, Latvia, Andorra and Serbia, would see them automatically advance to the competition next summer.
Tuchel has made some shock selections in his first England squad for the March 2025 international break. Two players get their first senior England call-up in Tuchel’s first England squad, whilst some experienced players return to the Three Lions.
Thomas Tuchel’s England Squad for March World Cup Qualifiers
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson, Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, James Trafford.
Defenders: Dan Burn, Levi Colwill, Marc Guéhi, Reece James, Ezri Konsa, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Tino Livramento, Jarell Quansah, Kyle Walker
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze, Jordan Henderson, Curtis Jones, Morgan Gibbs-White, Declan Rice, Morgan Rogers
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen, Phil Foden, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Dominic Solanke
Many were surprised to see 33-year-old Dan Burn getting his first call-up, as well as recalling Jordan Henderson and Reece James to the squad alongside Kyle Walker.
18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly has also received his first call-up, with Tuchel mentioning that he has fast-tracked the left-back’s international career due to their lack of options in his position.
Although it is just his first England squad, Tuchel has revealed some big things around how he will be picking England squads during his time in charge.
It looks like he will prioritise experience over potential or players on form where possible, with the likes of Jordan Henderson receiving call-ups over exciting talents performing to a high level in the Premier League like Adam Wharton.
Picking Marcus Rashford, Curtis Jones and Eberechi Eze were also debatable selections, with players like Callum Hudson-Odoi missing out. Morgan Gibbs-White was not in the original squad but has now been drafted in due to Cole Palmer suffering an injury.
Who will England play in March 2025?
England have two matches, both at Wembley, in Tuchel’s first games as boss of the Three Lions. They play Albania on Friday 21st March and then play Latvia on Monday 24th March. These matches should be easy wins for England.
His squad for the qualifiers has added some youth, but with Tuchel mentioning experience and leaders in press conferences, it feels like they will be the type of players to get priority in any big tournaments over youth or potential.
With this in mind, we have tried to predict what Thomas Tuchel’s England squad will look like at the 2026 World Cup.
England 2026 World Cup Predicted Squad
Goalkeepers
Dean Henderson, Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, James Trafford
Tuchel made the interesting decision to include four goalkeepers instead of three in his first England squad, and we don’t see this selection changing over the next year, with three of the four goalkeepers having a wealth of experience, whilst James Trafford looks to be the future of the Three Lions in between the sticks.
Defenders
Reece James, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Marc Guehi, John Stones, Ezri Konsa, Harry Maguire, Levi Colwill, Myles Lewis-Skelly
James is a player that Tuchel loved in his Chelsea days and at the first available opportunity he has called him up. If he and Alexander-Arnold are fit, we could see Livramento missing out. Guehi, a fully fit Stones and Konsa are consistent England players, whilst the spots at left-back are definitely up for grabs.
Midfielders
Jude Bellingham, Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Adam Wharton, Conor Gallagher
It would be a shock to see Henderson in a World Cup squad at the age of 35, but Tuchel is clearly a fan. Stars like Bellingham and Rice will definitely be included, whilst Tuchel has shown he likes the attacking qualities of Eze, Palmer and Rogers by naming them in his first squad.
Attackers
Phil Foden, Dominic Solanke, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka
England have an abundance of attackers available to pick, but we wouldn’t be shocked to see little change in the group from the ones that Tuchel has picked for the March 2025 internationals. Harry Kane will no doubt be leading the line. Kane was one of the joint top goalscorers at Euro 2024, which was England’s last tournament and he is one of the current favourites to win the Golden Boot in this season’s Champions League. If England want to win the World Cup then they need to make sure Kane is on top form.
No doubt this squad has a lot of quality, but some selections will certainly raise some eyebrows if it was the one that Tuchel picked.
Tuchel has earned his role as England manager with his successes in club football over the years and has won some big trophies, so fans of the Three Lions should be willing to accept his squad selections and give him the time and backing he needs whilst in charge.
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