England are in good stead ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions won all of their qualifing games so far to land a spot at the tournament, scoring 22 goals along the way.
Perhaps even more impressively, England did not concede a single goal during their qualifying campaign. With the qualifiers out of the way after the 2-0 win over Albania, how will England line up at the World Cup?
We took a look at a possible England XI before the World Cup kicks off next summer. We’ve included players from teams such as Everton, Manchester City and Arsenal – how does your XI look?
GK: Jordan Pickford
Jordan Pickford has been England’s undisputed number one for well over five years now.
As such, we see no reason to swap him out for an alternative, especially with him being in such strong form for Everton.
RB: Reece James
Reece James’ career has been heavily marred by injuries, but he is enjoying a consistent run of games for Chelsea at the moment. Kieran Trippier has retired from England duty and Trent Alexander-Arnold is struggling at Real Madrid – if he can stay fit, James is the best pick at right-back for the Three Lions.
CB: Ezri Konsa
Again, this is a position with plenty of competition, but we feel Ezri Konsa should be at the top of the pile.
He has been outstanding for both club and country in recent months, showing his bravery and excellent anticipational skills. Marc Guehi and Harry Maguire are solid options, but Konsa should be rewarded for his fine form.
CB: John Stones
While Konsa’s placement in the team is debatable, John Stones’ certainly isn’t.
There is no substitute for the Manchester City man – a veteran defender and a fantastic ball-playing defender, he will be one of the first names on Tuchel’s team sheet.
LB: Djed Spence
The 2025/26 season has been a massive breakout campaign for Djed Spence. Just a few months ago, he would not have even been part of the conversation – let alone a shoe-in for the left-back position.
He can also play on either side – as such, this could make room for someone like Myles Lewis-Skelly to get a chance.
CM: Declan Rice
Declan Rice is arguably England’s best player at the moment, boasting a complete skillset from central midfield.
We would like him to play in a more free role, rather than being mired as a defensive midfielder – he is wasted as a number six.
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