What England’s World Cup squad could look like
So near and yet so far—that’s the tale again after the national team’s performance at Euro 2024. But, as Alexander Pope once said, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast,” and with a new England boss, who knows, maybe the next World Cup could be within our grasp.
This article has been compiled with help from Kate Richardson, an expert in football and a top strategic betting analyst for mightytips.com. She is also an ardent England supporter who, like many of you, was devastated after the defeat to Greece at Wembley. But the good news is that after recent worries about the appointment of Lee Carsley as interim manager, now, after putting 5 past Northern Ireland in the UEFA Nations League and returning England to the top fight of international football, he might have left Thomas Tuchel a decent blueprint for the pool of players to go to the next World Cup.
Wearing our bettor’s hat, we suggest placing a wager now while the odds are still reasonable.
Possible England Lineup for the Next FIFA World Cup
Trying to forecast the England lineup for the upcoming tournament is anyone’s guess. A lot can happen in the next 18 months, but we can make some educated guesses about what the Three Lions squad will look like based on players maintaining current form and avoiding injury. Let’s start with goalkeepers.
Predicted Choice of England Goalkeepers
Current goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, currently of Everton, is likely to be among the squad for the next World Cup. Potential replacement options include Dean Henderson, currently with Crystal Palace, Newcastle United’s Nick Pope, and Southampton’s Aaron Ramdale.
The only problem is that none of them seem to be significant upgrades. However, away from the Premier League, 22-year-old James Trafford is currently working wonders for Burnley in the Championship. He honed his goalkeeping skills at Manchester City before spending time at Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers before moving to Turf Moor.
He has played for the England U21s, and in the U21s Euro Cup, he created a record by keeping a clean sheet in 6 matches, including saving a penalty against Spain. Trafford is highly thought of by Lee Carsley, who has openly praised not only his ability but his mentality.
Potential England Full-backs
At 34 years of age now, current right full-back Kyle Walker of Manchester City won’t be a consideration. 26-year-old Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool is almost certain to be included, especially given his ability to play a holding role, make forays forward from the middle of the park, and take deadly free kicks. He scored one of the 3 goals when England beat Finland 3-1 in Helsinki. Liverpool’s Joe Gomez is another prospect, as is Wrst Ham’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
The right-back options include Manchester United’s Luke Shaw, although he is currently 29 and somewhat injury-prone. Ben Chilwell of Chelsea is also a consideration. Other strong prospects include 19-year-old Lewis Hall of Newcastle and Man City’s Rico Lewis, who is also 19 and has already debuted for the England senior team.
Сentre-back Prospects
England stalwarts Harry Maguire and John Stones are not likely to be available for 2026 due to their age. The good news, however, is that several good prospects are available to replace them. They include 27-year-old Ezri Konsa of Aston Villa and 24-year-old Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace.
Other potential centre-backs include 22-year-old Taylor Jay Harwood-Bellis and Chesea’s 21-year-old Levi Colwill. Harwood-Bellis was one of Lee Carsley’s senior England debut scorers against Northern Ireland, and Colwill made a good account of himself when he got his first cap for the senior team against the Republic of Ireland in September 2024.
Midfielders That Could Figure in the Predicted Lineup
We are fairly well stocked when it comes to midfield players, both defensive and attacking. Manchester United’s 19-year-old Kobbie Mainoo has already shown potential in a Three Lions shirt. Unbelievably, Jude Bellingham is only 21, and as long as he remains fit, he is almost certain that he will be in the forecast lineup vs anybody else.
The same goes for 25-year-old Declan Rice, currently strutting his stuff at Arsenal, where he, too, has blossomed into one of the best players in the world. He is not only adept as a defensive midfielder but is excellent going forward. He is always likely to score, as he proved, scoring one of England’s goals when we defeated Finland by 3 goals to 1.
Cole Palmer is another great attacking midfielder. He can take on opposing players and make killer passes, like the assist he gave Ollie Watkins for the 91st-minute winner against the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 final. Finally, we mustn’t overlook 24-year-old Angel Gomes, currently playing his football with Lille.
England Wingers
Based on age and current form, we already have some first-class wingers, including Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon, and Phil Foden, who can also play as an attacking midfield player. Chelsea’s 22-year-old Noni Madueke is another strong candidate to be included in the lineup.
He’s another relatively new England face, having recently made 5 caps in UEFA Nations League games where, coming on as a substitute, he has looked dangerous and acquitted himself well.
England Predicted Strikers
The hottest debate at the moment is the main striker role. At age 31, Harry Kane is no spring chicken, and he’ll be 33 when the tournament kicks off. Many think Watkins should be the man. But what strengthens his claim is his ability to drop deep and make telling passes, like the magnificent ball he played, splitting Northern Ireland’s defence and providing Jude Bellingham the chance to win that game-changing penalty.
He is, however, slowing down, and the likes of Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke are, at present, the most likely replacements. But surely, with his goal-scoring record and play-making abilities, Harry Kane will be among the 26 chosen players. Then there is Jack Grealish. However, he’ll be 31 when the next World Cup finals take place, but his undoubted skills on the ball give him the ability to unlock tight defences.
The Final England 26
Our new national team head coach, Thomas Tuchel, faces a dauntless task as we once again look towards the World Cup finals, this time to be held in North America, with hopes of football coming home. What the England team news will be closer to the time, we have to wait and see, but based on the recent Nations League Group performance, the national team predicted lineup vs any team we face, will be drawn from 26 very talented, skillful players.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
