What the England squad could look like at the 2026 World Cup
Euro 2024 is done and dusted. Spain were the victors, of course they were, leaving England to rue another failure at the final hurdle.
Three years ago, Gareth Southgate had led the Three Lions to the verge of European Championship glory. Wembley was expectant, Wembley was…well, quite frankly chaotic. Italy were the eventual winners.
There was less chaos, less dramatics inside the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, but the end result was the same, just without the nervy penalty shoot.
Cole Palmer struck home. The trademark celebration came out and it looked as though England, a team who relied on moments throughout the competition had come out with another one. It was memorable again, just like Jude Bellingham’s overhead kick, just like the penalty shoot-out win over the Swiss, just like Ollie Watkins’ last-gasp heroics.
This time, however, it did not result in a win. With minutes on the clock Mikel Oyarzabal broke English hearts, steering home from close range. 2-1.
It was painful, not least for Southgate who two days later would leave his post. No more Gazza. We thank him for his efforts, for his charm, for his loyalty, we thank him for increasing our hopes of winning silverware.
Alas, it’s now time for a new era, it’s time to prepare for the World Cup in 2026. America, Canada and Mexico await the footballing world and England should be up there again as one of the favourites.
So, who will be in that squad? Some of the old guard, including Southgate, will be gone. There will be fresh faces, some usual suspects too.
Here’s what we’ve come up with at FFC and why…
1 Goalkeepers On the plane – Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale
It’s unlikely there will be too much change in this department ahead of the next World Cup. Pickford is the undisputed number one and that won’t change following his penalty heroics against the Swiss in Germany this summer.
You sense that Ramsdale will need to move on from Arsenal in order to stand a chance of competing for a spot. Still, with a new manager on the horizon, he might go in a different direction.
Facing the chop – Dean Henderson
Henderson only has one cap to his name and will be battling out with a few other stoppers for the right to be England’s third choice in North America.
New picks – James Trafford
The Burnley gloveman didn’t enjoy the best of seasons as the Clarets were relegated but he’s still a top young ‘keeper and has a few years to build up his experience ahead of 2026.
Ones to watch – Anthony Patterson
The Sunderland stopper could follow in Pickford’s footsteps to become a genuine option between the sticks during the next reign. He will likely have to leave the Championship in order to do so but he has been involved at U21 level already so the coaching set-up evidently rates him.
2 Defenders On the plane – Marc Guehi, John Stones, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luke Shaw
No surprises here in truth, with Marc Guehi fully deserving of a starting berth again following a stunning first outing at a major tournament – even earning a place in Opta’s best XI as a result. As for Stones and Shaw, the pair will still only be 32 and 31, respectively, by the time the World Cup concludes, with fitness likely to be the only nagging issue over the next 24 months.
The only other certain survivor should be Trent Alexander-Arnold, with the Liverpool hero having the chance to finally nail down the right-back berth following the failure of Southgate’s short-lived, midfield experiment.
Facing the chop – Kyle Walker, Lewis Dunk, Ezri Konsa, Kieran Trippier
Culpable for arguably both of Spain’s goals in Berlin, Kyle Walker certainly wasn’t at his best over the past month or so, with it hard to see the long-serving speedster lining up again at the age of 36 next time around.
Age will also likely bring the curtain down on Kieran Trippier’s solid England career, while 32-year-old Lewis Dunk may have also seen his chance come and go after failing to feature in Germany.
In the case of Ezri Konsa, the Aston Villa man certainly didn’t disgrace himself after replacing the suspended Guehi against Switzerland, although the emergence of an exciting crop of young centre-backs could prove his undoing.
New picks – Ben White, Levi Colwill, Jarrad Branthwaite, Rico Lewis, Quansah
Speaking of rising stars, Jarrad Branthwaite, Levi Colwill and Jarell Quansah will almost certainly be in contention in two years’ time, with the young trio looking set to remain mainstays of their respective clubs for the foreseeable future.
Away from the centre-back ranks, the seemingly inevitable retirement of Walker and Trippier could pave the way for U21s starlet Rico Lewis to stake a claim at right-back, while a certain Ben White may also be rubbing his hands together following Southgate’s – or rather Steve Holland’s – recent departure.
Ones to watch – Tino Livramento, Lewis Hall, Max Kilman
Such is the depth of talent at the new manager’s disposal, there remains a long list of other noteworthy figures who will also be pushing for involvement over the coming years.
There is a case to be made for the young Newcastle pairing of Lewis Hall and Timo Livramento, with the former Chelsea duo set to be in the mix to succeed the likes of Shaw and Walker et al before too long.
At the other end of the spectrum, a chance could finally emerge at some stage for West Ham’s new £40m signing, Max Kilman, with the ex-Wolves skipper – who will be 29 in 2026 – still waiting for a first cap after being bizarrely overlooked throughout Southgate’s tenure.
A word must also be said for forgotten man, Reece James, with the Chelsea star undoubtedly one of Europe’s best full-backs on his day, albeit the jury remains out on whether he will ever truly fulfil his potential amid a string of frustrating injury setbacks over a number of seasons now. (As they say, the best ability is availability…)
3 Midfielders On the plane – Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Adam Wharton, Kobbie Mainoo
England have some of the most exciting young midfielders in the game right now so it was rather baffling to see Southgate pick the likes of Conor Gallagher and Trent Alexander-Arnold over Kobbie Mainoo and Adam Wharton in Germany.
Mainoo eventually came into the side and was excellent, ultimately named in FFC’s Team of the Tournament for Euro 2024. He and Wharton will be great potential partners for Rice moving forward.
Facing the chop – Conor Gallagher
The Chelsea midfielder could be dropped from the squad depending on his club form over the next few years. He was a regular substitute in Germany but having been hauled off at half-time versus Slovenia, it said it all about his prospects moving forward.
With younger and fresher options bursting onto the scene, he will have to do a lot to become a regular under the new boss. Perhaps new Blues boss Enzo Maresca could turn him into a force. Watch this space.
New picks – Archie Gray, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Two of the more interesting picks for 2026 could be Archie Gray and Dewsbury-Hall, players who have achieved big moves this summer. The former joined Spurs from Leeds United and has been touted as a “future £100m” player. A few good seasons in the Premier League and there will no doubt be calls for an England inclusion.
Dewsbury-Hall may have his work cut out but offers a range of box-to-box qualities that would make him perfect alongside someone like Rice or Mainoo.
Ones to watch – Jacob Ramsey, Morgan-Gibbs-White, Curtis Jones, Lewis Miley
The sheer range of options the Three Lions could have available to them in two years is remarkable to think about. Ramsey, who has shone for Villa, has been linked with Tottenham, as too has Nottingham Forest’s Gibbs-White. Both possess the ability to make something happen out of nothing. Truth be told, though, they’d struggle to usurp Bellingham.
There might be better luck for the likes of Jones and Miley, who play in deeper roles. The Liverpool midfielder was in the provisional squad but didn’t make the cut for Euro 2024. As for Miley, still aged just 18, it surely won’t be too long before the Newcastle sensation appears in an England squad.
4 Forwards On the plane – Saka, Foden, Eze, Palmer, Gordon, Watkins, Kane
Not much change expected here, with it set to be a surprise if the forward line differs too drastically in two years’ time – unless Jack Grealish and Co can get their act together.
Twice England’s player of the year, Bukayo Saka cemented his status as arguably the nation’s most reliable presence following a standout Euro 2024, with the watching world still waiting for teammate Phil Foden to follow suit despite his heroics at club level.
If he’s not careful, the ‘Stockport Iniesta’ could find himself ousted by his former City colleague, Palmer, while both Eberechi Eze and Anthony Gordon, in particular, will be hoping to show more after being afforded mere flashes this time around.
As for the centre-forward ranks, the lack of a rising English striker should ensure it’s more of the same, with the question only likely to be as to whether Watkins will finally end an ageing Harry Kane’s (deserved) stranglehold on the number nine shirt.
Facing the chop – Ivan Toney, Jarrod Bowen
It may appear harsh considering Ivan Toney’s limited, yet valuable impact in Germany, but the Brentford talisman will be 30 in 2026, while picking the right next move at club level will also be crucial for whether he can kick on in an England jersey.
As for West Ham’s shining light, Jarrod Bowen, the wing wizard continues to dazzle in claret and blue, although things haven’t quite clicked into gear on the international scene thus far, with the rise of Palmer – alongside Saka’s remarkable consistency – reducing his chances of featuring off the right flank.
New picks – Marcus Rashford
At a crossroads in his career with even his Manchester United future in doubt, Marcus Rashford could likely have had few complaints after missing out on Southgate’s Euros squad, having scored just eight times in all competitions in what was a limp 2023/24 campaign.
And yet, a man who netted three times at the World Cup in Qatar – and who has 17 goals in total for his country – can never truly be written off, while at just 26, time is still on his side to get back firing again.
While never seemingly a Southgate favourite, the United academy graduate – now aided by the arrival of club legend Ruud van Nistelrooy at Old Trafford – could regain his place under the new regime, with the ailing Kane having no doubt missed Rashford’s explosive runs in behind this summer.
Ones to watch – Dominic Solanke, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Samuel Iling-Junior, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Ethan Nwaneri
As noted above, the pool of young strikers who are currently thriving at the elite level is rather limited, although in terms of an experienced option, Dominic Solanke could well be in contention again after narrowly missing out this time around.
On the flanks, there is certainly cause for excitement, with Aston Villa only recently snapping up England U21 star Samuel Iling-Junior from Juventus, while Jamie Bynoe-Gittens could well follow in Jadon Sancho’s footsteps after trading Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund a few years ago.
Elsewhere, a return to the international fold may lie in store for Callum Hudson-Odoi, with the ex-Chelsea man having found a new lease of life at Nottingham Forest last season – scoring eight Premier League goals.
A more wildcard shout – in the mould of say Kobbie Mainoo at this summer’s Euros – could well be Arsenal prodigy, Ethan Nwaneri, with the 17-year-old looking to kick on after having become the top-flight’s youngest-ever player in the 2022/23 season.
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