There will be a multitude of Chelsea stars in action for their countries when the 2026 World Cup gets underway in North America next summer.
Chelsea’s South American superstars Enzo Fernandez, Estevao Willian and Moises Caicedo will all be key players for their nations, with the latter waiting to see if a suspension from the qualifiers carries into the tournament.
Former Blues boss Thomas Tuchel will have a host of Chelsea players to choose from, and Reece James already looks as if he is going to be one of the first names on the plane.
Even in a time where Enzo Maresca has looked to protect his club captain, Tuchel has insisted on giving James maximum minutes as he works out who he wants to start in 2026’s big tournament.
England Men Training & Press Conference
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Reece James has already nailed down England right-back role
With qualification secured, the German experimented with his defence, handing Jarell Quansah the start at right-back.
The former Liverpool man, who caught attention for a terrible tackle against the Blues in pre-season, failed to impress against minnows Albania, only making his manager’s decision easier ahead of the summer.
James continues to hold off the challenge of Trent Alexander-Arnold for a place in the side. The Real Madrid defender was not even named in the current squad.
The only real concern that existed for the Englishman was whether he was going to be fit enough, however it is now around a year since he last suffered a serious injury at Chelsea.
Reece James acknowledges the fans during England v Serbia - FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier
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Tuchel shows Maresca how to use James
While Maresca has been keen to limit James’ output in order to keep him fit, many believe he has been sent a message from England games about what he should be doing.
Tuchel uses James in a far more attacking role than he does when playing for Chelsea, giving a throwback to the kind of performances he was putting in when he was in charge of the Blues.
There are few better full-backs in the final third than the Chelsea captain, and when Malo Gusto starts he certainly gets used in more advanced roles than his counterpart.
He finally found the net for the first time in the win against Wolves, and the Blues will instantly become a more dangerous outfit when James is allowed to do more work going forwards too.