England's World Cup 2026 squad ladder: Phil Foden set to squeak into Thomas Tuchel's final 26 but Myles Lewis-Skelly at risk of missing out

For starters, we need to preface these categories with the presumption that every player who Tuchel wants to call upon will be fit come the time he needs to send his final selections to FIFA (bar the last grouping, but that will become self-explanatory later).

Nonetheless, there are still probably only a handful of players who will definitely be on the plane given their reliability when it comes to performances for club and country. Captain and all-time leading scorer Harry Kane, who has now scored more international goals than the great Pele, is as nailed on as ever to go.

Arsenal have two representatives in this bracket, with Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka still two of the Three Lions' most consistent stars when free from injury. For years, critics have tried to displace Jordan Pickford from the England XI, yet he has only grown in stature within the squad since his penalty-saving exploits back at Euro 2020. We all love a madman goalkeeper who talks to himself sometimes; he's the No.1 until further notice, even despite a certain understudy proving their worth of late.

Total players: 4

Speaking prior to their 2-0 win away at Albania, Kane revealed that Tuchel had selected a five-player 'leadership team' consisting of himself, Saka and Rice, as well as Jude Bellingham and Marc Guehi. Given he was overlooked for the October camp and the amount of noise over his role in the team, it may have come as a bit of a surprise to have seen Bellingham's name here. Tuchel had already sent a warning to Real Madrid's Galactico midfielder, among others, a month earlier: "We are not collecting the most talented players, we are trying to build a team. Teams win trophies, no-one else."

Bellingham started that victory in Albania, though was characteristically unhappy to have been substituted by Tuchel, which was only pointed out to the head coach post-match. However, the likes of Ian Wright have thrown their support behind the 22-year-old, insisting this outrage has been manufactured for no good reason.

Guehi, meanwhile, only missed out on November's matches due to a foot injury and would likely have started at least one of these games had he been fit, while he has not let talk of a summer move away get to his head.

Total players: 6

Next up, we have the players who Tuchel is clearly keen on using and will almost certainly rely upon, but they aren't quite part of his inner circle. The success of Morgan Rogers in the No.10 role over the last two camps has also complicated matters for Bellingham, with the Aston Villa man more willing to play a supporting role rather than be the main protagonist.

John Stones, who has admitted he was considering retirement last season, has quickly become a favourite of Tuchel's since returning to full fitness, and the Three Lions boss will have everything crossed that the Manchester City defender can make it to next summer unscathed.

Another defender that Tuchel has taken a liking to is Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa, who is arguably the quickest centre-back in England contention and whose recovery pace proved an asset this month, coming up with a couple of sweeping challenges to preserve a clean sheet in the 2-0 win against Serbia. Arsenal sensation Eberechi Eze has played most from the bench, but fine strikes against Latvia and Serbia have served as a timely reminder that he should and will be on the plane.

Tuchel has also hung his hat on one of his old favourites at right-back in Chelsea skipper Reece James. Again, this is a task where we are presuming everyone will be at peak conditioning next summer, and if James is at even 75 percent full health, then he will be in that final squad.

One player who has risen up this ladder at an astonishing rate is Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson, who has proven a perfect partner for Rice in midfield and is understandably being linked with a mega-money move to a big-six club due to his magnificent performances.

Total players: 12

We're still splitting hairs when it comes to players who, unless their world falls apart, would be shocked if they don't receive a phone call from Tuchel and his staff with good news next June. These are still important distinctions to make, however.

Ollie Watkins, as the first reserve for Kane, cannot be considered at the same level as his superior (particularly after being overlooked for November's camp), nor is back-up goalkeeper Dean Henderson neck-and-neck with Pickford, but both should be on the plane.

Even before his move to Barcelona, Marcus Rashford was someone Tuchel wanted to keep a close eye on ever since his first selection back in March. "I had the strong feeling that we should nominate him, bring him in and to push him to stay on that level to not fall back on old routines," the boss said following Rashford's fine start to his previous loan spell at Villa.

From his very first squad, Tuchel has also sought to rely on the experience of Jordan Henderson. Given the veteran midfielder's fine start to life back in the Premier League with Brentford, it appears this once-controversial decision has been vindicated.

Total players: 16

Here we have the names who are either in fine form or have a performance or skillset of note that Tuchel is mindful of. Though he was given way too much credit for his assist for Eze against Serbia, Phil Foden is still someone that the head coach will want in his final 26 so long as he doesn't revert to his 2024-25 underperformance. His Man City team-mate, Nico O'Reilly, will also be feeling better about his chances after starting twice for the Three Lions in November and looking a natural on both occasions.

Tuchel has publicly claimed he has long wanted to get a closer look at Adam Wharton, and though his appearances in November didn't quite set the world alight, he may have done enough to convince the boss to stick with him in the squad at least.

Anthony Gordon was absent from the November squad due to injury, but has routinely been called upon by Tuchel even despite his Premier League drought with Newcastle. Similarly, Noni Madueke was admired by the German before picking up a knee issue earlier this season.

Dropping down a few categories from our last update is Cole Palmer, whose chances of starting for England at the World Cup are now incredibly slim, but he's talented enough that there would be national uproar if he missed out on the final 26 entirely.

Total players: 22

Heading into this sixth category, we have already named 22 players. If those listed are selected for the final squad, then there will only be four other spots to go around. In essence, this bracket is the spiritual 'squeaky bum time' grouping, naming those who need to get their act together if they want any chance of featuring at the World Cup.

The defensive numbers are looking a bit light, and Tuchel seems to have placed an emphasis on versatility when it comes to those at the back. Djed Spence and Jarell Quansah, who have featured in the last few squads, may therefore be selected due to their ability to cover multiple positions.

Standing at 6'7", Dan Burn is ripe for England's supposed 'NFL-style playbook' of set-pieces that's in the works. If the Three Lions are in desperate need of a goal late on in a World Cup knockout game, the opposition will not be happy to see such a man mountain coming on, will they?

We also need one more goalkeeper to meet tournament regulations. At this stage, Nick Pope is in pole position, given he is the only other recently-used option who is a starter at club level. That could change if he is usurped at Newcastle by Aaron Ramsdale, while James Trafford's prospects are now bleaker after Gianluigi Donnarumma's arrival at Man City.

Total players: 26

Let's start the post-26 groupings with the A-listers who, at this rate, won't make the cut. The biggest star who is projected to miss out on the World Cup is Trent Alexander-Arnold, who should play plenty for Real Madrid between now and the end of the season, but doesn't fit the mould of a typical Tuchel right-back (someone who likes to defend).

"I spoke to Trent. It was a difficult phone call but I wanted him to hear it from me, which he appreciated and he was very clear that he's desperate and keen to come back and play for England," Tuchel said in September. "It's all in the mix but it is a competitive decision, and just to make the competition a little bit more spicy. First and foremost, I think Trent is a player who needs to feel trust and love from his manager and team-mates and from his club, his country and the fans. He needs that."

Of the more recent squads, Myles Lewis-Skelly is the player who has most recently lost his spot. Tuchel previously declared that the youngster had to be playing more at club level with Arsenal in order to justify his inclusion, and this came to a head in November when the left-back was dropped entirely.

There has been clamour to see Jack Grealish back in the Three Lions fold, particularly after returning to form at Everton, but at this rate he would need several players ahead of him in his position to pull out before he would realistically be given a spot in the final squad. Likewise, Harry Maguire would be a menace on set plays but is now seemingly in a shootout with Burn for that position.

Jarrod Bowen didn't fully take the opportunity to nail down a place when he started against Albania, though did look dangerous regardless. Luke Shaw, Morgan Gibbs-White, Conor Gallagher, Ivan Toney and Dominic Solanke are among the other more experienced cohort who need to step up over the next few months to win the affection of Tuchel back.

Tuchel has spoken positively about Tino Livramento, while his Newcastle team-mate Lewis Hall is also a solid option at full-back, but their inability to stay fit could cost them brownie points when push comes to shove this summer.

Total players: 38

Before we tackle the players who are facing a real uphill battle, we need to acknowledge that international football is slightly different from the club game, and managers will stick with what they know more than venture into the unknown. Tuchel's remit is to win the World Cup at all costs, and there's every possibility he'll turn to three of his old Chelsea 'dependables' next summer.

AC Milan's Ruben Loftus-Cheek received a recall in September, marking his first appearance in an England squad since 2019. "It was always a pleasure (to work with Loftus-Cheek) and I'm very happy that I had the chance to call him up," Tuchel explained at the time. "He's a very, very nice guy to be around, very friendly, very polite, good sense of humour, and he is full of quality. Sometimes I'm not sure if he is aware how good he is, how good he can be, but he fits in seamlessly because of his character and quality. He showed it straight away."

Trevoh Chalobah, who was cast aside by Chelsea last season before they turned to him again amid an injury crisis, received his first cap during the June internationals and was involved in the November camp.

It would also be remiss of us to overlook Mason Mount, who was the favourite of Tuchel's when he was in charge at Stamford Bridge. Earlier this year, when Tuchel was first making his long-list of England players to choose from, Mount revealed: "He called me and he said that he's calling a lot of players and just wanted to catch up. I don't know how many players he probably called, 40 or 50 maybe. But it was good to see his face, good to catch up with him and good to speak to him. I played quite a bit under him."

Total players: 41

Jumping back on the pessimistic POV, we come to those who have it all to do if they are to win over Tuchel across the 2025-26 season. Of the players who have actually been around the England camp relatively recently, Kobbie Mainoo and Rico Lewis are facing a race against time to muscle their way back into their club line ups, let alone the Three Lions fold.

After his surprise inclusion in Tuchel's November squad, Alex Scott deserves to be a point of discussion, though it may have been telling that he was not afforded his debut over the two games. Harvey Elliott, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Jobe Bellingham are some more positive wildcards to keep an eye out for the rest of this season, with this foursome only a run of form away from propelling themselves into the discourse, even if none of them have showed their true quality thus far.

There are also more historical picks who in their head may fancy their chances of impressing Tuchel, even if they are further away from that reality than ever. Danny Welbeck, Ben White, Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones and Harvey Barnes are four of the more hopeful candidates in this regard.

Should Tuchel want some more senior statesmen without international experience to beef up his squad, then Tosin Adarabioyo and Jacob Murphy are the most likely contenders to step up this season. At the other end of that spectrum, Ethan Nwaneri is continuing to dazzle in England's youth sides and could well be an Arsenal regular come the summer, but isn't as assured of minutes as those in the brackets above.

Total players: 56

Welcome to the graveyard of England careers, the players who have been cast aside to history no matter their age. In terms of the youngsters, Angel Gomes and Taylor Harwood-Bellis have completely fallen off the radar after being introduced to the senior set up during Lee Carsley's interim spell as head coach, while Jarrad Branthwaite hasn't been able to remain injury-free over the last year enough to warrant a place higher up this ladder.

Of the players in their peak years, Fikayo Tomori and Jadon Sancho have proven most disappointing of late. The stars would have to align for either to even work their way back into the fringes of England discourse, let alone a place on the plane. The old guard of Kyle Walker and Eric Dier, two players who are admired by Tuchel, seem to be over the hill at this point.

Total players: 63

Alas, we do have to give a shoutout to two players who would have featured in this squad ladder, but have already been ruled out of contention having suffered devastating ACL injuries.

Chelsea defender Levi Colwill suffered his knee problem right on the eve of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign, forcing Blues boss Enzo Maresca into a rethink of how his side will build possession from the back. Meanwhile, Tottenham playmaker James Maddison, who was part of Gareth Southgate's selection for the 2022 World Cup, was dealt this painful blow during a pre-season tour of South Korea.

Total players: 65