World Cup 2026 Ultimate Guide: England

England’s recent results at international tournaments, combined with the outstanding level of players currently performing in the Premier League and UEFA competitions, make them one of the leading contenders to win the World Cup - something they have achieved only once before, back in 1966.

A quarter-final appearance in 2022, where they were eliminated by France following Harry Kane’s missed penalty, and a fourth-placed finish in 2018, after an extra-time semi-final defeat to Croatia, underline their consistency at the top level. Added to that are back-to-back appearances in the final of the European Championship, where they lost to Italy and Spain, respectively.

With a squad that looks exceptionally strong in every department and is packed with depth - so much so that high-profile players such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden have been left at home - the biggest question marks concern the form and condition of a few key individuals capable of elevating the team further.

Jude Bellingham has endured a difficult season at Real Madrid, and reports suggest his relationship with Tuchel has not always been smooth, while their defence threatens to be inexperienced when it comes to tournament football if John Stones is unable to start.

The third foreign manager in England’s history will attempt to achieve what neither Sven-Goran Eriksson nor Fabio Capello were capable of: rewriting the story of the national team.

Thomas Tuchel, who took charge at the start of 2025, inherited an important legacy from Sir Gareth Southgate. While Southgate’s style of play drew criticism and debate, he will be remembered for England’s tournament finishes and for building one of the strongest and most competitive squads the country has ever known.

Demanding both tactically and in the discipline he expects from his players, Tuchel heads into his first World Cup with a reputation built on major success at club level. He reached consecutive Champions League finals in 2020 and 2021, winning the latter with Chelsea as they surprisingly beat Manchester City.

England will head to the United States reflecting the tactical flexibility Tuchel has shown throughout his coaching career. Ever since succeeding Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund, switching between a back four and a back three has never been an issue for him. Nor has adapting the attack, whether with a central striker supported by two direct wingers, two attacking midfielders behind the No.9, or even three central players operating behind the forward.

Whichever way you look at it, it is impossible not to identify Harry Kane as the player most capable of taking England to an even greater level than the one they have reached and consolidated in recent years.

Arguably the most complete and in-form centre-forward in world football today, Kane arrives at what may well be his final opportunity to rewrite his country’s footballing history - he turns 33 at the end of July - at the peak of his career.

After breaking virtually every scoring record with Tottenham and closing in on Alan Shearer’s Premier League mark, Kane has further refined his game at Bayern Munich.

His tally of 79 goals for England, which moved him clear of another icon in Wayne Rooney, along with eight goals in World Cup finals tournaments, could yet rise even higher. This time, with the very real ambition of leading England to a trophy they have waited 60 long years to lift again.

England have yet another reason to thank Pep Guardiola. Beyond transforming the way football is thought about and played in England, Guardiola has also helped develop a generation of players who have improved enormously under him, both technically and tactically.

The latest example is Nico O’Reilly, a Manchester City academy product who has truly broken through this season.

Naturally a midfielder with outstanding technical ability and excellent timing of his runs, O’Reilly has been converted into a left-back who is capable of doing almost everything. The 21-year-old starts moves deep in his own half and increasingly finishes them in the opposition penalty area, as he showed by scoring twice in the Carabao Cup final to take down Arsenal.

In a squad already full of attacking talent and players capable of making the difference between the lines or in one-on-one situations, O’Reilly adds another unexpected weapon from defence to Tuchel’s relentlessly attack-minded approach.