With 20 days until the start of the 2026 World Cup, Thomas Tuchel has named his final England squad to go to the summer tournament. His 26-man team is bound to spark controversy, with some big names omitted – including notable duo Phil Foden and Cole Palmer.
The Three Lions take on New Zealand and Costa Rica in their final friendlies before facing Croatia on 17 June for their first Group L game. They then meet Ghana and Panama in their last two matches before the World Cup knock-out stages begin.
England have not won the tournament since 1966, and made it to the quarter-finals against France at Qatar 2022. They were beaten by Spain in the final at Euro 2024 but will be desperate to go one step further as Tuchel guides the team at his first tournament since taking over from Gareth Southgate.
Goalkeepers
jordan pickford-1
In goal, there is no surprise that Jordan Pickford has been given the nod. The Everton goalkeeper will almost certainly start for the Three Lions, with 82-caps under his belt. His understudies will be Dean Henderson of Crystal Palace and Manchester City ace James Trafford.
Newcastle United duo Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale are perhaps the biggest names to miss out in this position. Both men went to the 2022 World Cup, although they were left on the bench for the entire tournament, with Pickford starting all the games.
England Goalkeepers
Player
Jordan Pickford
Dean Henderson
James Trafford
Joao Pedro (L) and Cole Palmer (R) react after Chelsea's FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City Related
Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro’s Private World Cup Conversation Before England and Brazil Snubs
Both Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer will miss out on the World Cup with their respective nations this summer.
Defenders
reece james
The big news at the back is that Harry Maguire has been left out. In an emotional statement, the Manchester United ace said: "I was confident I could've played a major part this summer for my country after the season I've had. I've been left shocked and gutted by the decision. I wish the players all the best."
It's better news, however, for fellow centre-backs John Stones, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa and Jarell Quansah. Those four will be helped out by Dan Burn, who can play at left-back or in the middle. His inclusion over Newcastle teammate Lewis Hall and Man Utd's Luke Shaw is bound to raise some eyebrows.
Nico O'Reilly will also be an option at left-back after a fine breakout season with Man City, while Reece James gets the nod at right-back. Finally, Djed Spence is trusted. Although Tottenham Hostpur have had a poor season, the fullback has evidently impressed Tuchel. His versatility, able to play both left and right back, was likely a clinching factor. While it's no surprise, many will be frustrated that Real Madrid ace Trent Alexander-Arnold has been left out by Tuchel.
|England Defenders|
|Player|Club|International Caps|International Goals|Age|
|John Stones|Manchester City|87|3|31|
|Marc Guehi|Manchester City|27|1|25|
|Ezri Konsa|Aston Villa|18|1|28|
|Jarell Quansah|Bayer Leverkusen|1|0|23|
|Dan Burn|Newcastle United|6|0|34|
|Nico O'Reilly|Manchester City|3|0|21|
|Reece James|Chelsea|22|1|26|
|Tino Livramento|Newcastle United|5|0|23|
|Djed Spence|Tottenham Hostpur|4|0|25|
|---|
Midfielders
declan rice england
Having just won the Premier League, Declan Rice will be expected to continue his fine season in the middle of the park for England. It looks as though he will be partnered by Elliot Anderson, although Kobbie Mainoo and the experienced Jordan Henderson will offer Tuchel alternative options – with no room in the squad for Adam Wharton.
In the attacking midfield role, it looks as though Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze will battle it out for a starting berth. Perhaps the biggest shock is that Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Morgan Gibbs-White have all been left at home.
|England Midfielders|
|Player|Club|International Caps|International Goals|Age|
|Declan Rice|Arsenal|72|6|27|
|Elliot Anderson|Nottingham Forest|7|0|23|
|Kobbie Mainoo|Manchester United|12|0|21|
|Jordan Henderson|Brentford|88|3|35|
|Jude Bellingham|Real Madrid|46|6|22|
|Morgan Rogers|Aston Villa|13|1|23|
|Eberechi Eze|Arsenal|16|3|27|
|---|
Forwards
England's Harry Kane playing against Serbia
There's no prize in guessing that Harry Kane has made the cut. The Ballon d'Or hopeful has had a wonderful season at Bayern Munich and will be desperate to become the first England captain since Bobby Moore to win the World Cup.
Ollie Watkins was recently dropped from the England set up, but after a strong end to the season, helping Aston Villa win the Europa League, the former Brentford man has made the cut. Another ex-Bee, Ivan Toney, has also returned to the international scene just in time. This will come as a surprise to some, especially as he's been playing for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League since 2024.
Danny Welbeck can count himself among those unlucky not to get the nod, while the same can be said of Dominic Calvert-Lewin after a fine season at Leeds United.
On the flanks, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford will hope to bring plenty of threat to the team. Saka looks nailed on to start, but there is less certainty over the left-wing position, which could also be occupied by Rogers or Eze if Tuchel wants to mix things up a little.
|England Forwards|
|Player|Club|International Caps|International Goals|Age|
|Harry Kane|Bayern Munich|112|78|32|
|Ollie Watkins|Aston Villa|20|6|30|
|Ivan Toney|Al-Ahli|7|1|30|
|Bukayo Saka|Arsenal|48|14|24|
|Noni Madueke|Arsenal|10|1|24|
|Anthony Gordon|Newcastle United|17|2|25|
|Marcus Rashford|Barcelona (on loan from Manchester United)|70|18|28|
|---|