England 6-1 Panama: where is the Three Lions’ starting XI from 2018 now? | OneFootball

Ollie Whitmore, Chief football news reporter

England recorded their biggest ever victory at a major tournament when they thrashed Panama 6-1 at the World Cup eight years ago in Russia.

It would prove to be just the start of the Three Lions’ adventure to the semi-finals under Gareth Southgate, something that hadn’t been achieved since hosting Euro 1996.

Now, the pressure is on for Thomas Tuchel’s men – though already through to the knockouts – to beat Panama, and beat them well, instilling fans with the confidence that they can go all the way and win the World Cup for just a second time.

Many England fans will likely say their team has improved along with their World Cup fortunes. With that said, how did England’s starting line-up look in their previous meeting with Panama at the tournament in 2018, and where are they now?

GK: Jordan Pickford

One of just three survivors in the England squad, Pickford has been England’s first-choice goalkeeper ever since this tournament that he will be remembered fondly for batting away Carlos Bacca’s spot kick as they won a first penalty shootout.

Though he can make some fans nervous with his high level of eccentricity, the Everton shot-stopper is one of the finest in his position at the tournament when pulling off reflex saves and when the ball is at his feet. Most of the time.

He will consider it a shame, though, that he wasn’t able to keep a clean sheet when Panama scored a consolation for their first ever World Cup goal.

The 2026 World Cup is the 32-year-old’s third in a row representing England, and his fifth consecutive major tournament.

CB: Harry Maguire

One of the high-profile omissions from Tuchel’s World Cup squad, Harry Maguire enjoyed a successful second-half of the Premier League season under Michael Carrick and helped bring the Champions League back to Old Trafford.

He featured in 23 of United’s games this season, scoring once and assisting twice, and had two World Cups and 66 caps’ worth of experience to offer England despite not receiving the call up this time around.

Maguire will be 37 when the next World Cup rolls around, and he might be too past his best at that point to make an appearance at a third.

CB: John Stones

John Stones is another player to have remained in the England side since 2018, and scored two of his three international goals in the first 40 minutes to put England in cruise control before half-time against Panama.

The six-time Premier League winner said in an interview as part of England’s coverage by ITV that he still has more to offer an top level football club at the age of 32, following his departure from Manchester City at the end of the season.

CB: Kyle Walker

Interestingly, Southgate opted for back three and five across the midfield for this encounter and chose to adapt Kyle Walker into a more central defender to harness his lightning-quick pace and timing of the challenge.

Walker was still at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola in 2018, and now represents Burnley who are gearing up for yet another campaign in the Championship after dropping down a year on from winning promotion to the top flight.

The 36-year-old made a 96 appearances for England and scored a single goal before retiring from international football back in March.

LM: Ashley Young

Ashley Young was still on the books alongside Maguire at United when England thrashed Panama, and has now been released by Ipswich Town after they were promoted back to the Premier League for the second time in three years.

Young made three Championship appearances in a Town shirt this season after previous spells with Everton, Aston Villa, and Inter Milan between January 2020 and June 2025.

CM: Jesse Lingard

Jesse Lingard is a player who in many fans eyes could fit into the same category of players as Dele Alli, who also featured in the 2018 World Cup squad – a very bright talent who could have shone that little bit brighter.

He curled in a sumptuous goal against Panama that showed what he was capable of at his best, and now represents Corinthians in the Brazil.

The 33-year-old reached over 200 appearances for Manchester United before going on to play for FC Seoul, Nottingham Forest, and who could forget that mesmerizing loan spell with West Ham at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CDM: Jordan Henderson

Arguably one of Tuchel’s most divisive pick for his England squad, Jordan Henderson remains a born leader and likely fulfils this role in the dressing room that has been constructed looking more for balance than star-studded firepower.

The 2019/20 Premier League champion with Liverpool now represents Brentford aged 36 following his move from Ajax and a brief stint in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ettifaq.

CM: Reuben Loftus-Cheek

Although he hasn’t represented England at a major tournament since 2018, Reuben Loftus-Cheek has built up a successful career as a starting midfielder for AC Milan and has reached 109 appearances and 13 goals for the Italian giants.

The 30-year-old has one Supercoppa to his name from the 2024/25 season, as well as two Premier League titles during his time at Chelsea, having made his 11th cap for England in his return to the frame in a friendly against the United States in 2025.

RM: Kieran Trippier

This was the tournament for Kieran Trippier to explode onto the international scene, curling home that free kick against Croatia to put England ahead in the semi-final after a memorable run under Southgate.

Formerly of Tottenham, Atlético Madrid, and Newcastle, he moved to Wolves on a free transfer this summer and looks set to stick with the club after rumours of a very early exit following Rob Edwards’ surprise dismissal subsided.

ST: Raheem Sterling

The 2018 World Cup came right before the season that Raheem Sterling was performing pretty much on par with Lionel Messi in terms of his goal contributions across the 2018/19 campaign with Manchester City.

His move to Chelsea didn’t quite work out how the now 31-year-old had wanted, moving on loan to Arsenal in August 2024 before securing a move to Feynoord as a free agent upon the mutual termination of his contract at Stamford Bridge.

Sterling made eight appearances for Feynoord towards the back end of the Eredevisie season, assisting once.

ST: Harry Kane

They say old habits die hard, and this couldn’t ring more true for any player in this starting lineup other than Harry Kane.

England’s all-time leading goalscorer bagged a hat-trick against Panama, with two of his goals coming from the spot and the other from a rather fortuitous deflection off his heel.

Kane has been scoring goals for fun at Bayern Munich this season, reaching 36 in 31 league matches for the season and notched another two for his country against Croatia in England’s 4-2 victory to open their World Cup campaign.

He went on to break England’s scoring record in March 2023, surpassing Wayne Rooney’s tally of 53, and few dispute him as the best striker currently in world football and one of the greatest talents of his generation.

England will hope he will continue to play a starring role in their bid for a first World Cup triumph for 60 years, as their sights are firmly set on the round of 32 despite one final group game to contest.

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