England are up and running at the 2026 World Cup. A 4-2 win over Croatia — Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and Marcus Rashford all scoring — sets Thomas Tuchel's side up nicely in Group L. The attacking intent is real. The question now is whether the squad he's built is deep enough to back it up.
The headline selection story isn't who's in. It's who isn't. Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, and Trent Alexander-Arnold — three of England's most technically gifted players — are all at home. Alexander-Arnold's absence is the most pointed: Tuchel has now frozen him out consistently since taking charge in January 2025, and this World Cup squad confirms it isn't an oversight. It's a decision.
Toney earns his place, Maguire's family makes theirs
Ivan Toney is the pick that raises eyebrows — and probably should. The Al-Ahli striker hasn't featured for England in 11 months, his last appearance an 88th-minute cameo in a friendly loss to Senegal. He has seven caps, one international goal, and hasn't played a single minute under Tuchel.
But 32 goals in 32 Saudi Pro League games this season is a number that's hard to ignore, and Tuchel didn't try to. "He's a natural finisher. He can help us with set pieces, he's very strong in the air. And, not to forget, he's a world-class penalty taker." As a plan B to Kane — a pressure-relief valve when England need a goal late — it's defensible logic. Whether it works in a knockout tournament is another matter entirely.
Harry Maguire won't be finding out. The 66-cap Manchester United centre-back was left out, and he didn't take it quietly. "Shocked and gutted," he wrote on social media. His mother Zoe went further on X, calling herself "absolutely disgusted." It's the kind of public fallout Tuchel won't enjoy — but it won't change anything either.
The selections that need a second look
Djed Spence made the cut despite arriving with a broken jaw and spending most of his club season battling relegation fears with Tottenham. He has four caps, all under Tuchel. John Stones, by contrast, is a proven performer at this level — but he's managed just eight Premier League appearances this season through injury. Both are gambles of different kinds.
England's full 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup:
- Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Manchester City)
- Defenders: Reece James (Chelsea), Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea), John Stones (Manchester City), Marc Guéhi (Manchester City), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City), Djed Spence (Tottenham)
- Midfielders: Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
- Forwards: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli)
Notable absences: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Cole Palmer, Jarrod Bowen, Ben White, Fikayo Tomori, Morgan Gibbs-White, Miles Lewis-Skelly, Adam Wharton, Levi Colwill, Lewis Hall, James Garner.
England's Group L schedule:
- June 17, 4 p.m. ET: England 4-2 Croatia — AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
- June 23, 4 p.m. ET: England vs Ghana — Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
- June 27, 5 p.m. ET: Panama vs England — MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Ghana and Panama represent a very manageable group on paper. Three points banked, six more to play for. England's odds to top Group L look solid — the real test comes once the knockout rounds arrive and Tuchel's squad depth gets properly stress-tested.
