Next up in our series of individual World Cup team previews: England. The Three Lions play the fifth and final group-stage match at MetLife Stadium when they face Panama on Saturday, June 27. This post, like all of our World Cup team previews, is free for all to read, but we'd greatly appreciate if you contributed to our site's sustainability by becoming a paid subscriber, or by making a one-time donation.
Will it finally come home for England?
The Three Lions haven't won a World Cup since they lifted the trophy on home soil in 1966, led by the likes of Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst. Fast forward to 2026, and this is one of the strongest England sides in decades.
The expectations are sky-high for Thomas Tuchel, who signed an 18-month contract on January 1, 2025, replacing Gareth Southgate. Tuchel is no stranger to success, having won the UEFA Champions League with Chelsea FC and league titles with Paris Saint-Germain and FC Bayern Munich.
But the question is: Can Tuchel get England over the hump? The Three Lions have reached just two World Cup semifinals (1990 and 2018) since winning the tournament 60 years ago.
ELO Rating: 4th
Group C: Croatia, England, Ghana, Panama
Group schedule
vs Croatia, Wednesday, June 17, Dallas, Texas, 4:00 pm ET
vs Ghana, Tuesday, June 23, Boston, Massachusetts, 4:00 pm ET
vs Panama, Saturday, June 27, East Rutherford, New Jersey, 5:00 pm ET
At their last World Cup: Qatar 2022, lost quarterfinal 2-1 vs France
Record in qualifying: 8W-0D-0L, +22 goal differential (22 gf/0 GA)
Head coach: Thomas Tuchel
Record with England: 9W-1D-2L, +19 goal differential
Preferred formation: 4-2-3-1
Nickname: The Three Lions
Pre-tournament vibe check
Tuchel wanted England to quickly get used to the blistering heat. That's why England arrived in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday, June 1 and had their first training session of the summer the very next day.
After beating New Zealand 1-0 on Saturday, June 6, the Three Lions will play one final friendly, facing Costa Rica on Wednesday, June 10, at 4:00 pm ET at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, the usual home of Orlando City SC. Then England will fly to Kansas City, Missouri, where they will train at Swope Soccer Village for the World Cup.
In a group with Croatia, Ghana, and Panama, England are the favorites to finish top. England blasted Panama 6-1 back in the 2018 World Cup, and Ghana is just too weak to keep the Three Lions off the board.
It should come down to England's first game of the World Cup — a Wednesday evening game against Croatia in Dallas, Texas — for a top spot in the group. England is undefeated against Croatia in the last three meetings, but it's impossible to forget when the latter pulled off a shocking 2-1 win over the former to reach the 2018 World Cup final.
If England wants to replicate its 2018 run and reach the semifinals for the fourth time in history, it's going to have to find a way to win some tough games. There's a real possibility that England will have to play Mexico in the Round of 16 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, where the high altitude will definitely be a factor.
England could also meet Norway or the Netherlands in the quarterfinals, followed by a possible clash with Argentina in the semifinals. Finally, if England survives that grueling run, it would likely face a tournament favorite like Spain in the final.
The bottom line is that the Three Lions have high expectations and a good-enough squad to go deep in the tournament, but will it be enough to beat the heavyweights, teams like France or Spain? If England wants to bring the World Cup home for the first time in 60 years, it will have to find a way to pull off some big wins.
Who to watch
England's most dangerous player is the best striker in the world.
Harry Kane is fresh off scoring a whopping 61 goals in 51 games for Bayern last season, including 36 in the Bundesliga and 14 in the Champions League. He's just as solid for his country, scoring 78 goals in 112 appearances.
If England is going to have success this summer, Kane will play a key part. He's no stranger to big occasions, totaling 15 goals across the World Cup and European Championship, only trailing Cristiano Ronaldo, Miroslav Klose, Gerd Müller, and Jürgen Klinsmann for Europe's leading scorers in major tournaments.
Despite being one of England's most reliable players, the 32-year-old has had his fair share of hiccups: Kane missed a game-tying penalty against France in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals — a tournament where he scored just twice — and had a disappointing 2024 Euros, being substituted off by Southgate in all of the knockout games.
Supporting him is Bukayo Saka, who, despite winning the Premier League with Arsenal FC, didn't exactly set the world on fire last season. The 24-year-old winger tallied just seven goals and five assists in the Premier League.
Anthony Gordon — who just signed a massive deal to join FC Barcelona — and Marcus Rashford — who hopes to join Barcelona permanently — are the other two wingers who will fight for the starting spot on the left.
Jude Bellingham, despite having a disappointing season for Real Madrid with just nine goals and six assists, will likely play the No 10, and Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers is a solid backup.
The attack is England's strong suit; it's just a matter of who Tuchel decides to give the minutes to.
X-factors
England's midfield may not compare to Spain's or Portugal's, but it's still better than most — Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson both had standout seasons in the Premier League.
Rice won the title with Arsenal and is hearing "best midfielder in the world" shouts, while Anderson led Nottingham Forest to an Europa League semifinal and could move to Manchester City for up to $100 million.
For England, the two midfielders will have to win the ball back, help defensively, and get forward to create chances. Last season, Anderson had the most touches (3,300), won the most duels (297), and won the most possession (306) of any top-flight player. Rice led England in assists (four) in the World Cup qualifiers, so expect him to have a similar role this summer.
The full 26-player roster
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Marc Guéhi (Manchester City), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur), John Stones (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
Forwards: Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, loan from Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
Predicted starting XI
