Thomas Tuchel is set to announce his England squad for the World Cup today, with just under three weeks to go until the tournament gets underway on June 11. The Three Lions boss has the unenviable task of whittling down his impressive collection of talent into just 26 spots, with the chosen players looking to win the first trophy for the England men’s team since their iconic World Cup triumph in 1966.
When is the England Squad Announced?
England’s final World Cup squad will be confirmed today (Friday, May 22). The announcement event will take place on the England app and is set to begin at 9.45am BST, with all 26 names set to follow soon after. Former England internationals Daniel Sturridge and Theo Walcott will be part of the broadcast, which will be hosted by presenter Kyle Walker. Tuchel is then due to speak with the media following the announcement from around 11am BST.
Pre-Tournament Preparations
Up until the first game, national team managers will also be able to take an additional nine players to the World Cup to take part in training. Players must be released to their national teams by their clubs by Monday, May 25. There is an exception, however, for players who will be taking part in the Europa Conference League (May 27) and Champions League (May 30) finals. This could prove something of a headache for Tuchel, with English players from Arsenal and Crystal Palace joining up late with the squad having made it through to the Champions League and Conference League finals respectively. Tuchel will have the opportunity to fine-tune his preparations with two pre-tournament friendlies scheduled against New Zealand (June 6) and Costa Rica (June 10).
England's World Cup Fixtures
- England vs Croatia (June 17, 9pm BST, Dallas)
- England vs Ghana (June 23, 9pm BST, Boston)
- Panama vs England (June 27, 10pm BST, New York-New Jersey)
Who Could Be in the Final England Squad?
Large swathes of England’s World Cup squad have emerged from media reports on Thursday evening, with Tuchel making a series of bold calls over high-profile players. The likes of Jordan Pickford, Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guehi, Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane all appear set to make the team and will likely form the spine of England’s XI. So too could players such as Ezri Konsa, John Stones, Morgan Rogers and Marcus Rashford, who also seem poised for a place on the plane to North America. Ebrechi Eze will join the squad after winning the title with Arsenal, while Kobbie Mainoo also appears to have persuaded Tuchel that he should head to the World Cup as cover for Rice and Anderson.
However, there appears no place in the squad for Mainoo’s United teammate Harry Maguire, who shared his ‘shock’ at missing out on England’s squad. Lewis Hall appears set for disappointment further back at left-back, with Myles Lewis-Skelly and Trent Alexander-Arnold pushing for one of the final places as extra defensive cover. Elsewhere, Mainoo’s inclusion is set to be bad news for Adam Wharton, who will miss out on central midfield. And further forward, Tuchel looks set to raise eyebrows by leaving out Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Morgan Gibbs-White in the hugely competitive No. 10 position. Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke will complete the options in wide areas, with no place for Jarrod Bowen. The German also appears set to bring two back-ups for Kane, with Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney seemingly set for call-ups to complete Tuchel’s squad.
