Thomas Tuchel has made his selections, upset a few families, and watched his team put four past Croatia in the opening Group L fixture. England are up and running at the 2026 World Cup — and already, the story isn't just what happened on the pitch.
Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and Marcus Rashford all scored in a 4-2 win that announced England's attacking intentions early. It was the kind of result that makes the betting markets take notice — England pressing up, committing bodies forward, and backing themselves to outscore opponents rather than grind them down.
The selection that nobody saw coming
Ivan Toney is in this squad. Let that settle for a moment. The Al-Ahli striker hadn't featured for England in 11 months — his last cap came as an 88th-minute substitute in a friendly loss to Senegal — and has zero appearances under Tuchel since the German took charge in January 2025. One international goal to his name. And yet, here he is at a World Cup.
Tuchel's reasoning is hard to dismiss, though. Toney scored 32 goals in 32 Saudi Pro League games this season. Thirty-two in thirty-two. His case for inclusion writes itself once you accept the numbers, and Tuchel did exactly that. "He has very special skills that could help us — the scenario when we are chasing a result, when we are chasing a goal," the manager said. "He's a natural finisher. He can help us with set pieces. And, not to forget, he's a world-class penalty taker."
As a bench option behind Kane, that profile makes sense. England won't always be 4-2 up at the 90-minute mark.
The names left behind
Phil Foden. Cole Palmer. Trent Alexander-Arnold. Three players who would walk into almost any other international squad — all absent. Alexander-Arnold's omission is by now a pattern under Tuchel rather than a surprise, but leaving out both Foden and Palmer in the same window is a statement. Tuchel said he was building a team, not collecting talent. Whether that philosophy holds up against better opposition than Croatia remains the question.
Harry Maguire's exclusion generated the loudest noise off the pitch. The 66-cap Manchester United defender called himself "shocked and gutted" on social media. His mother Zoe went further on X, describing herself as "absolutely disgusted." It's uncomfortable, but Tuchel's squad selection suggests he's moved on from that generation of centre-backs entirely.
John Stones, meanwhile, made the cut despite just eight Premier League appearances this season through injury. Djed Spence — who plays for a relegation-threatened Tottenham and broke his jaw before the squad departed — also travelled. Tuchel clearly values certain players for specific tactical roles more than raw form or club standing.
England's full 26-man squad and Group L schedule
Goalkeepers:
- Jordan Pickford (Everton)
- Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace)
- James Trafford (Manchester City)
Defenders:
- Reece James (Chelsea)
- Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea)
- John Stones (Manchester City)
- Marc Guéhi (Manchester City)
- Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa)
- Dan Burn (Newcastle)
- Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen)
- Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City)
- Djed Spence (Tottenham)
Midfielders:
- Jordan Henderson (Brentford)
- Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest)
- Declan Rice (Arsenal)
- Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)
- Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
- Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
Forwards:
- Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
- Noni Madueke (Arsenal)
- Eberechi Eze (Arsenal)
- Marcus Rashford (Barcelona)
- Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United)
- Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
- Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
- Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli)
Group L fixtures:
- June 17 — England 4-2 Croatia, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
- June 23 — England vs Ghana, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA (4 p.m. ET)
- June 27 — Panama vs England, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ (5 p.m. ET)
Ghana and Panama offer England a realistic path to topping the group. But after Croatia, Tuchel's side have already shown that keeping clean sheets isn't the priority — scoring more than the other team is. That approach will be tested harder in the knockout rounds. For now, the 4-2 scoreline will do.
