The ones that got away: Five World Cup stars who could have played for England | OneFootball

England will have one of the best squads on show at the 2026 World Cup, but there will be some top-tier talent representing other countries that were once eligible for the Three Lions.

Here are five big World Cup names that could have represented England at international level.

Erling Haaland

Erling Haaland will head to the World Cup for the first time this summer after Norway secured qualification for the first time in 28 years. It means Haaland will avoid joining the list of world-class talent that never made the big stage, with the 25-year-old having obliterated goalscoring records for club and country.

Haaland has scored a record-breaking 55 goals in 50 games for Norway, alongside 112 in 132 Premier League appearances forManchester City.

However, Haaland could have played for England, having been born in Leeds during his father's playing career at Leeds United. He moved back to Norway aged three and has said he never considered representing any other nation.

Michael Olise

Michael Olise is right among the frontrunners for this year's Ballon d'Or and warmed up for this summer's World Cup with a hat-trick for France against Northern Ireland this week.

Olise's terrific treble following an outstanding club campaign as he inspiredBayern Munich to a German league and cup double. The winger was named Bundesliga Player of the Season, after leading the league for assists for the second straight season.

Olise could have represented multiple nations with the London-born winger eligible for England, France, Algeria and Nigeria before opting for Les Bleus.

The Bayern Munich superstar has said playing for France was always the 'dream'.

"I have always had a connection with the France national team, that is why I play for France. It's been my dream since I was a kid."

Jamal Musiala

England are not exactly short of number tens, but could have had another top-class option.

A teammate of Olise's at club level,Jamal Musiala is another who could - and briefly did - wear the Three Lions. He represented England at various age groups, featuring alongside Jude Bellingham, but ultimately opted for Germany at senior level.

Musiala has since become an integral figure for the German side, and was the joint-leading scorer at the 2024 European Championship. The midfielder was also eligible for Nigeria, but chose the nation of his mother and birth.

Scott McTominay

Scott McTominay was born in England but a Scottish father saw the midfielder choose to represent the Tartan Army. McTominay has become a poster boy for the Scotland side, scoring several vital goals, including an audacious overhead kick against Denmark to help seal 2026 World Cup qualification.

The 29-year-old has reached a new level since leavingManchester United for Napoli, where he was named Serie A Footballer of the Year during the club's title success in 2024/25.

Antoine Semenyo

Antoine Semenyo has cemented himself as one of the Premier League's best wingers this season, with a £62.5m move to Manchester City granting him an opportunity at the top level.

Semenyo scored 21 goals in 48 games across all competitions in 2025/26, including the decisive goal in City's FA Cup final win over Chelsea. Born in London, Semenyo opted to represent Ghana at international level and has earned 34 caps since his debut in 2022.

He'll face England with The Black Stars in Group L of the 2026 World Cup.