England World Cup squad: Standard Sport writers pick their 26 players for summer tournament | OneFootball

Thomas Tuchel has so many questions to ponder ahead of official Three Lions announcement at Wembley

England are set to name their squad for the 2026 World Cup.

After months of build-up, intense discussion and debate, manager Thomas Tuchel will officially announce his 26-man finals squad on Friday before then holding a press conference at Wembley.

There are plenty of questions set to be answered ahead of this summer’s tournament in North America, where England contest Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama.

Ahead of Tuchel’s official selection, Standard Sport’s football writers pick their preferred England World Cup squads.

Dom Smith

It feels almost unfathomable to intentionally leave behind creative players as richly talented as Cole Palmer and Phil Foden, but that is where we are. They are more naturally capable than any of the No10s I have selected instead, yet there are reasons why they should not go to the World Cup.

Palmer, meanwhile, has endured an injury-disrupted season at Chelsea and looks a far cry from the player who was one of the Premier League’s best players in the first half of last season and throughout 2023-24, which culminated in him scoring in a European Championship final.

Do we anticipate, after weeks of mediocre displays for his club, that 30-degree heat in the United States is when he is suddenly going to burst into life?

Struggles: Phil Foden and Cole Palmer have both endured difficult seasons in the Premier League

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Some will say the Club World Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain shows it does. But that was just one game of a whole tournament, and Palmer has been nothing like the same player in the full year since. Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze feel safer bets this summer.

Kobbie Mainoo was mightily close, but the slightly more defensively solid James Garner squeezes in instead. I considered the hugely versatile Curtis Jones, too. Garner’s set-piece delivery is an added bonus.

Trent Alexander-Arnold would not make it into a 23-man squad because he has proven a difficult tactical fit for the international game. In a 26-man squad, his world-class passing range is worth reserving a seat on the plane for.

Ollie Watkins is the outstanding candidate as Harry Kane’s understudy. Noni Madueke is England’s most direct winger and a Thomas Tuchel favourite, but misses out because Jarrod Bowen is far more useful defensively when protecting a lead, and his end product is more polished.

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford

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

Midfielders: Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton, Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice, James Garner

Forwards: Bukayo Saka, Jarrod Bowen, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze, Morgan Gibbs-White, Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins

Matt Verri

James Trafford has not played much this season but he has stepped up for Manchester City when given the chance and is a better goalkeeper than Nick Pope or Aaron Ramsdale.

Tino Livramento might not play again for Newcastle this season and Reece James' fitness is never certain, so picking both would be a risk. Jarell Quansah can cover right-back if needed and Alexander-Arnold is far too talented to not make a 26-man squad.

There are enough experienced heads in the group that Jordan Henderson does not need to be included just for his leadership.

In midfield, Myles Lewis-Skelly's late-season run of form earns him a place on the plane. He has shown how well he can play alongside Declan Rice and also offers versatility at left-back, giving him the edge over Kobbie Mainoo.

Too talented to miss out? Trent Alexander-Arnold has been omitted from recent England squads

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Jarrod Bowen just about gets the nod over Noni Madueke, who has tailed off in recent months. Bowen has not been at his best either but still has good numbers for a side battling relegation.

Cole Palmer is fortunate to make the cut but is capable of a magic moment out of nothing, while Phil Foden can have no complaints about missing out.

Danny Welbeck was in pole position to serve as Harry Kane's back-up but Ollie Watkins has rediscovered form at the ideal time and has delivered at a major tournament for England before.

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford

Defenders: Reece James, Jarell Quansah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Nico O'Reilly, Lewis Hall

Midfielders: Declan Rice, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Adam Wharton, Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze

Forwards: Bukayo Saka, Jarrod Bowen, Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins

Sam Tabuteau

It always feels like you have ample choice when you go to select your 26-man England squad ahead of a major tournament.

The reality, though, is that some big names are always going to miss out in the end, such is the talent pool at Thomas Tuchel’s disposal.

Gibbs-White looked a long way from making Tuchel’s squad a few months ago, but his recent form has been impossible to ignore as Nottingham Forest secured Premier League safety and reached the Europa League semi-finals.

In form: Morgan Gibbs-White has stepped up for Nottingham Forest in the latter part of the season

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Kobbie Mainoo is another who has made a late push for selection. He just gets the nod over Adam Wharton due to his experience as a key component of the England side that made the Euro 2024 final.

I’ve allowed myself a wildcard selection in defence, where Levi Colwill comes in as my fifth centre-back. A left-footed defender with an eye for a pass, he impressed even as Chelsea lost the FA Cup final last weekend.

Luke Shaw also makes my squad. There is no supplement for major tournament experience and Shaw has always stepped up for England regardless of form and fitness. It just so happens that he has also been playing some of his most consistent football this season.

Forwards: Bukayo Saka, Jarrod Bowen, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins, Dominic Calvert-Lewin