England squad for World Cup 2026: Tuchel faces selection dilemmas

England remain a heavyweight in world football but have lifted only one major trophy, the 1966 World Cup. Recent tournaments have brought near-misses: a 2018 semi-final exit to Croatia, a 2022 quarter-final defeat by France and consecutive European Championship final defeats in 2021 and 2024, which preceded Gareth Southgate’s departure.

Thomas Tuchel now takes charge ahead of the 2026 World Cup, and supporters will hope he can guide the team past past frustrations. Between the posts, Jordan Pickford has been the long-term front-runner, though Tuchel has begun experimenting by giving Dean Henderson chances; Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale and James Trafford are also in contention.

The defensive options are similarly abundant — seven players vie for right-back, while Luke Shaw, Ben Chilwell and Lewis Hall offer left-sided choices, and a crowded centre-back pool includes John Stones, Ben White, Harry Maguire, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Guehi and Max Kilman.

England

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