England’s 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup is finally announced, and many of the earlier guesses turned out to be completely off!
England’s final squad for the 2026 World Cup is now official, and Thomas Tuchel has surprised some fans by going against the early leaks.
With the World Cup just under three weeks away, the biggest football stars are heading to North America for the sport’s biggest event. This will be the first World Cup with 48 teams, split into 12 groups of four. England will play in Group L, facing Croatia, Ghana, and Panama.
Before the tournament starts, every country had to confirm their 26-man squad. Big teams like France, Brazil, Germany, and Portugal were among the first to share their lineups.
Thomas Tuchel announced England’s squad as he gets ready to lead the team in his first major tournament since taking over from Gareth Southgate last year.
In goal, there were no surprises: Jordan Pickford is first choice, backed up by Dean Henderson from Crystal Palace and Manchester City’s James Trafford.
But in defense, Tuchel made some eye-catching decisions. Big names like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harry Maguire, and Lewis Hall didn’t make the cut. Instead, the defense will include Manchester City’s Marc Guehi and Nico O’Reilly, along with Ezri Konsa, Reece James, John Stones, Dan Burn, Jarell Quansah, Tino Livramento, and Djed Spence.
Tuchel also made some tough calls in midfield. Cole Palmer and Phil Foden didn’t get in, while Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Jordan Henderson, Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham, and Eberechi Eze did.
The biggest surprise could be Ivan Toney, who only played once under Tuchel as a late substitute against Senegal but made the squad. He joins Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Marcus Rashford, and Anthony Gordon up front.
Here’s the full England squad:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford
Defenders: Ezri Konsa, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Dan Burn, Jarell Quansah, Tino Livramento, Nico O’Reilly, Djed Spence, Reece James
Midfielders: Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Jordan Henderson, Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze
Forwards: Harry Kane, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon
Before Tuchel’s announcement, many names were already leaked online, so the official reveal on Friday morning wasn’t a big surprise. Players like Kane, Pickford, Guehi, and Rice were always expected to make it. But some players who were tipped to be in the squad didn’t make the final cut.
On the evening of May 21, 25 of the 26 squad members were leaked, with one spot still unknown. The BBC reported that many expected Trent Alexander-Arnold, Myles Lewis-Skelly, or James Garner to be the last pick.
However, the final spot went to Tottenham’s Djed Spence. He has only 4 senior England caps but got chosen for his versatility to play on both sides of defense.
Unfortunately, this came soon after news that Spence broke his jaw during Tottenham’s 2-1 loss to Chelsea. The injury happened when Liam Delap elbowed him while both jumped for the ball, earning Delap a yellow card. Despite the injury, Spence remains in the squad as England heads to the World Cup.