England's World Cup 2026 squad ladder: Who will make Thomas Tuchel's 26-player cut for the summer?

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 five 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, despite the odd call for him to be dropped from the starting XI in games that are of little consequence, 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. Jude Bellingham, whose supposedly petulant attitude has come into question, is one of the only true global superstars for Tuchel to choose from. Even if he isn't a starter, he will be at the World Cup if he is fit, no questions asked.

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.

Total players: 5

Next up, we have the players who Tuchel is clearly keen on using and will almost certainly rely upon, but they aren't quite in that very top tier. For example, the German has expressed his desire to use John Stones, though the Manchester City defender's patchy fitness record has prevented this from happening to date. The manager may not feel comfortable throwing the veteran back in at the deep end for competitive fixtures without prior practice first.

In Stones' place, Tuchel has found a solid centre-back partnership in Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa and Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi, both of whom scored their first international goals in Tuesday's win in Serbia. Konsa's club team-mate, Morgan Rogers, was similarly scintillating and has made quite the pitch to start as England's most advanced midfielder, ahead of even close friend Cole Palmer, who is yet to explode under Tuchel's management, and Arsenal sensation Eberechi Eze.

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.

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, nor is back-up goalkeeper Dean Henderson neck-and-neck with Pickford.

Even before his move to Barcelona, Marcus Rashford was someone Tuchel has 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.

Forcing his way into this bracket over the course of the September internationals is Elliot Anderson, who is currently the greatest thing since sliced bread following two superb outings as England's deepest midfielder.

"First of all, Elliot deserved to be with us for his performances with his club and the Under-21s, that was very impressive," Tuchel said on Tuesday. "When I saw him perform in the [U21 European Championship] final, I had the idea that maybe he can be a No.6, maybe playing to his strengths. He was excellent in camp, like everyone else. The group made it as easy as possible for him, but he did all the effort that is needed with two excellent performances throughout. It's on him to keep going, to keep the lightness and the freedom he needs for his game. He's just a very, very good football player and a very good team-mate in camp."

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. Following on from his first England goal this week, Noni Madueke is all the more likely to head to the World Cup, but whether he will get enough game time for Arsenal once Saka returns could see his chances reduced again in the near future.

Myles Lewis-Skelly, who has been shunned by Mikel Arteta for Riccardo Calafiori so far this season and was the sole player from this camp left out of Tuchel's squad to face Serbia, is likewise starting to face more of a fight for his spot.

The experience of Jordan Henderson and Dan Burn is valued by Tuchel too, even if they are far from guaranteed starters. There is a similar sort of dependability about Jarrod Bowen, who has continually received call-ups amid his herculean efforts to carry a drab West Ham side through the mud.

Of the younger contingent, Tino Livramento has quietly become more of a regular in the England fold with Tuchel at the helm, and his ability to play on either side of defence makes him a useful squad option at the very least.

Total players: 22

Heading into this fifth 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.

There are two A-listers among the chasing pack, with Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold yet to find their best form in an England shirt, and they are now in danger of missing out altogether. Though Foden has quickly become an afterthought only a year removed from winning the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, Tuchel has spoken publicly about Alexander-Arnold's exile: "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. 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."

There has long been clamour to see Adam Wharton afforded full freedom in the heart of England's midfield. Unfortunately for the Crystal Palace man, an injury on the eve of this camp has seen him lose vital ground to Anderson in the race to be the Three Lions' full-time No.6. Slightly further ahead as a No.8 or No.10, Morgan Gibbs-White is looking less assured of a place with so many other talented players in his role. Anthony Gordon made a fine account of himself as a touchline winger in the win over Serbia, though like Gibbs-White could find himself scrambling for the starting spot with so much firepower yet to return.

Then we have the battle royale for the final goalkeeper spot. 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 City's signing of Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Total players: 30

We're starting to dig into the back catalogue of England hopefuls, again beginning with those of a glass-half-full perspective. These are the contenders who would bring a certain swagger and confidence to the squad, even if some of them are wildly untested at this level.

In terms of the more experienced candidates here, Harry Maguire and the reborn Jack Grealish are the headline names. If they are on an upward trajectory heading into the summer, then there will be campaigns for the national darlings' inclusions at the World Cup.

At full-back, Djed Spence and Lewis Hall have both been capped, though will probably need a bit of injury luck (translation: they will need better players to get hurt) if they are to make the final 26. Curtis Jones was omitted from this most recent squad but stands a fair chance if he contributes towards Liverpool's various trophy charges, while Jarell Quansah remains uncapped but has been called into Tuchel's last two camps, giving the German a close-up look of his talents.

Harvey Elliott, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Jobe Bellingham are the other wildcards to keep an eye out for this season, with this foursome only a run of form away from propelling themselves into the discourse.

Total players: 40

Before we tackle the players who are facing an 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.

Most recently, AC Milan's Ruben Loftus-Cheek received a recall, 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 last week. "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 is a versatile option who shouldn't be ruled out of selection.

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: 43

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, Conor Gallagher, Ivan Toney, Dominic Solanke, Jarrad Branthwaite and Rico Lewis are facing a race against time to muscle their way back in.

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. Ben White and Joe Gomez are two of the more hopeful candidates in this regard, but the ship is sailing for Luke Shaw, Harvey Barnes, Fikayo Tomori, Eric Dier and Jadon Sancho.

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: 59

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: 61