England's World Cup 2026 squad ladder: Cole Palmer in danger of dropping out but Jude Bellingham's importance grows

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. 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 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. With a busy end to the season on the horizon as the Gunners go in search of the treble, Tuchel will be keeping everything crossed that they are indeed fit and ready come June.

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.

Of course, it would be remiss of us to ignore Reece James when it comes to naming players that Tuchel will select if his life depended on it. At Chelsea, the German helped turn James into the elite-level right-back he is today and is clearly the first choice for that position, no questions asked.

Total players: 5

There was a time where it seemed as if Jude Bellingham’s place in the entire squad was in doubt. He was absent for the October camp when Tuchel decided to stick with continuity from the previous month’s meet-up, and even when the Real Madrid star did return to the fold, it came with an ominous warning from the manager: “We are not collecting the most talented players, we are trying to build a team. Teams win trophies, no-one else." But the Galactico has worked his way back into Tuchel’s good books and after two rubbish results without him in the team, Bellingham’s place seems assured.

Bellingham was previously mentioned as part of a leadership team which also features the locks above, as well as Manchester City defender Marc Guehi, who has impressed at the Etihad Stadium following his January move from Crystal Palace and was named England captain for the Japan loss.

Total players: 7

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 few camps has also complicated matters for Bellingham, with the Aston Villa man more willing to play a supporting role.

Another Villa player Tuchel has taken a liking to is Ezri Konsa, who is arguably the quickest centre-back in England contention and whose recovery pace proved an asset over the last few camps.

One player who has risen up this ladder over the last few camps 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: 10

Marcus Rashford has been rejuvenated on loan at Barcelona this season, even if he’s not back to the superstar levels he once showed at Manchester United. But as a pacey, versatile and experienced forward who’s in some sort of form, he should make the 26. The same can be said for Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon.

Between the sticks, Crystal Palace hero Dean Henderson is the top deputy to Pickford nowadays, though there remains uncertainty over who will get the third and final goalkeeping spot.

Total players: 13

Yep, John Stones needs his own category. We know, we know, we said we would assume all players are fully fit and injury-free, but that just isn’t possible with the Manchester City defender.

Stones will be on the plane if his health permits it, though we also need to be a bit more realistic and bring him further down this ladder due to how probable or improbable that prospect is.

Total players: 14

There is hardly a shortage of quality left-backs eligible for England, but two names have stood out above the rest - Lewis Hall of Newcastle, and Manchester City’s Carabao Cup-winner Nico O’Reilly. Their spots are highly coveted and subject to intense competition, especially given neither did much to strengthen their case in March.

The reintegration of Kobbie Mainoo into the squad at the first possible opportunity bodes well for the Manchester United midfielder, particularly as he boasts Euro 2024-final experience over competitors for his position. Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton was also at that tournament and has stayed in Tuchel’s thoughts even despite an up-and-down season.

Tuchel has tended to lean on Eberechi Eze, even as someone first off the bench, and the Arsenal man’s absence for this dismal window may have made the heart grow fonder.

Of the superstars on the fringes of Tuchel’s team, Manchester City’s Phil Foden probably has the best chance of making the cut, with the ex-Chelsea boss seemingly enamoured by his technical ability and versatility across the frontline. At this point, it would be a controversial pick.

Total players: 20

As is the case with club football, you cannot have a squad of 26 players who all think they should be starting. You still need people who know their place and are happy with that in order to balance out the dressing room, too.

It’s notable that Tuchel name-dropped another former Chelsea favourite in Trevoh Chalobah when discussing his centre-back options last week, and it helps that he can play at full-back too.

Tuchel has depended on the experience and leadership of Jordan Henderson, now of Brentford, and even named the midfielder as captain against Uruguay. At the other end of the spectrum, there’s still a refreshing, youthful exuberance about Noni Madueke and his directness on both flanks.

Now that he’s a full international and having performed well in the Carabao Cup final, James Trafford may get the final goalkeeper spot, even if he’s not playing week-to-week at Manchester City.

Total players: 24

Tuchel has broadly kept to his word when saying that he will pick players based on performances and how they fit together as a team, rather than on their name alone.

There has almost always been debate over Trent Alexander-Arnold’s place in the England setup, but what should now be apparent is it would be madness for the Real Madrid man to miss out on a World Cup for anything other than fitness-related issues. Surely after the Uruguay and Japan performances, Tuchel will see that too.

For his big-game expertise, threat on set pieces and status as a favourite among players and fans alike, Manchester United stalwart Harry Maguire will probably have done enough to warrant a spot in the final squad, even with Tuchel laying down the gauntlet to him last week.

Total players: 26

If there is to be a household name that doesn't make England's World Cup squad, it could very, very feasibly be Cole Palmer. He's shown little for England outside of the Euro 2024 final to justify further inclusion, while a summer off may do him good following two gruelling years without a full pre-season.

Palmer is more of a necessity than a luxury. In all likelihood, he will still make the 26 anyway because of dropouts, but he's at risk of spending June and July at home.

Total players: 27

That Tuchel went into the Japan fixture without a recognised striker suggested he is not exactly thrilled with his options beyond Kane, whom he compared to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of his irreplaceable influence on this England team. That said, if there is to be another dropout from the 27 above, it would probably be a centre-forward who gets the late call.

By doing nothing at all, Ollie Watkins’ reputation as the go-to backup seems pretty safe, provided he ends the season on a high at Aston Villa. On the flip side, Dominic Solanke may now need to fire Tottenham away from relegation trouble to get a look-in again.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin didn’t do a lot with his 34-minute cameo against Uruguay and would be fortunate to get another chance, unless he also comes up trumps in the fight for Premier League survival. Danny Welbeck of Brighton and Al-Ahli’s Ivan Toney may be on Tuchel’s mind again following the no-shows of his two Doms.

Total players: 31

Inevitably, not everyone in with a shout of making the World Cup will be fit this summer. There will definitely be places up for grabs, with those role players previously mentioned the beneficiaries in waiting.

At the back, Djed Spence, Tino Livramento, Dan Burn, Fikayo Tomori and Jarell Quansah have worked closely with Tuchel for a few camps, though they should be wary of Luke Shaw’s excellent form at club level and Ben White’s return to international duty.

Tuchel has become infatuated with Everton midfielder James Garner, likening him to Federico Valverde following his Three Lions debut, while on the other end of Merseyside, Liverpool’s Curtis Jones shouldn’t be dismissed as an option either. Further up the pitch, West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen always finds a way to work himself into squads, though his status as a go-to scorer from the bench could be under threat from Newcastle’s Harvey Barnes.

Total players: 42

Tuchel’s past life as Chelsea manager means he has experience working personally with other players on the fringes of the England fold. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and ConorGallagher are the two at this end of the ladder still in some sort of contention, though we can probably rule Mason Mount out having been unable to string some games together at Manchester United (and thus he will not be included in the final total).

There are also players who Tuchel has fancied since becoming England boss too, but need strong ends to 2025-26 to muscle their way back in. Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly, Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White and Bournemouth’s Alex Scott fit the bill here.

Total players: 47

There is an argument that Tuchel should consider taking Arsenal sensation Max Dowman and Liverpool hot-shot Rio Ngumoha given how quickly they’ve adapted to men’s football. That they have been able to not only play but meaningfully contribute to the seasons of such major clubs does suggest they are ready to represent their country too.

Tuchel didn’t close the door on selecting teenagers earlier this month, though it’s a bit fanciful at this stage to expect him to integrate them in time for the 2026 World Cup.

Total players: 49

We’ll round off the pool of players with those looking to take the third and final goalkeeper spot, which everyone knows is the most-fun role to have in any squad. Bring your gloves, bring the vibes, job done.

Aaron Ramsdale, having usurped Nick Pope in the Newcastle pecking order, would be a superb ‘vibesman’ in the event any of the three goalkeepers at the top of the ladder fall off for whatever reason. Brighton backup Jason Steele has entered the conversation amid his surprise inclusion for the March friendlies, too.

Total players: 52

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford

Defenders: Reece James, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, John Stones, Lewis Hall, Nico O’Reilly, Trevoh Chalobah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harry Maguire

Midfielders: Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Elliot Anderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Adam Wharton, Jordan Henderson

Forwards: Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Eberechi Eze, Phil Foden, Noni Madueke