Thomas Tuchel has announced his 26-man England squad for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, with a few surprises and notable omissions. The squad includes shock call-ups Ivan Toney and Djed Spence, while Trent Alexander-Arnold misses out. Here is a player-by-player guide to the squad.
Goalkeepers
Jordan Pickford
Club: Everton | Age: 32 | Caps: 82. The vocal Everton goalkeeper holds the record for consecutive clean sheets for England. Known for his loud presence, he once said if he weren't a footballer, he'd be in motocross.
Dean Henderson
Club: Crystal Palace | Age: 29 | Caps: 4. Henderson joined Palace from Manchester United in 2023 and has impressed, notably saving a penalty in the FA Cup final. He enjoys England training camps for the rice pudding.
James Trafford
Club: Manchester City | Age: 23 | Caps: 1. Trafford returned to City from Burnley after 29 clean sheets in the Championship. He grew up on a farm in Cumbria and signed for City at age 12.
Defenders
Dan Burn
Club: Newcastle | Age: 34 | Caps: 6. Released by Newcastle as a child, Burn worked at Asda before being signed by Darlington at 17. He returned to Newcastle in 2022 after a journey through multiple clubs.
Marc Guéhi
Club: Manchester City | Age: 25 | Caps: 27. The second Ivorian-born player to represent England, Guéhi won the FA Cup with Palace before moving to City. He is a calm defender who dreams of becoming a WWE wrestler.
Reece James
Club: Chelsea | Age: 26 | Caps: 22. A Chelsea academy graduate, James started as a striker but converted to right-back at 15. He and his sister Lauren are the first brother-sister duo to play senior England football in the modern era.
Ezri Konsa
Club: Aston Villa | Age: 28 | Caps: 18. Konsa started at Senrab FC and joined Charlton at 11. He has 'blessed' tattooed on his hand and made his England debut against Brazil in 2024.
Tino Livramento
Club: Newcastle | Age: 21 | Caps: 5. Born in Croydon to a Portuguese father and Scottish mother, Livramento overcame a serious ACL injury to earn a move to Newcastle. He is known for his humility.
Nico O'Reilly
Club: Manchester City | Age: 21 | Caps: 3. A City academy graduate, O'Reilly made his full debut in 2024 and earned a World Cup call-up a year later. He still goes to Tesco with his mum.
Jarell Quansah
Club: Bayer Leverkusen | Age: 23 | Caps: 1. Quansah joined Liverpool at five and broke into the first team in 2023. He moved to Leverkusen for £30m and scored on his Bundesliga debut. Liverpool have a £52m buy-back clause.
Djed Spence
Club: Tottenham | Age: 24 | Caps: 4. Spence keeps a mental note of doubters after being loaned out multiple times. He became the first Muslim to play for England's senior men's team last year.
John Stones
Club: Manchester City | Age: 31 | Caps: 87. Known as the Barnsley Beckenbauer, Stones has won everything with City. He made his England debut 12 years ago and is popular with teammates.
Midfielders
Elliot Anderson
Club: Nottingham Forest | Age: 23 | Caps: 7. Anderson was initially called up by Scotland but chose England. He is a graduate of Wallsend Boys Club, which produced Alan Shearer and Peter Beardsley.
Jude Bellingham
Club: Real Madrid | Age: 22 | Caps: 46. Bellingham moved to Real Madrid for £88.5m and has become a global brand. He was raised in Stourbridge and impressed senior pros at Birmingham as a teenager.
Eberechi Eze
Club: Arsenal | Age: 27 | Caps: 16. Eze joined Arsenal from Crystal Palace for £60m but has struggled for impact. He was released by multiple clubs as a youngster and is a keen chess player.
Jordan Henderson
Club: Brentford | Age: 35 | Caps: 89. Henderson returned to English football with Brentford after a controversial stint in Saudi Arabia. He drove to Berlin to watch England in the Euro 2024 final.
Kobbie Mainoo
Club: Manchester United | Age: 21 | Caps: 12. Mainoo's World Cup hopes seemed slim until Ruben Amorim left United. He revived under Michael Carrick and signed a new contract in April.
Declan Rice
Club: Arsenal | Age: 27 | Caps: 72. The most expensive British player at £105m, Rice was released by Chelsea at 14 but became a West Ham legend. He loves golf and modelled at London Fashion Week.
Morgan Rogers
Club: Aston Villa | Age: 23 | Caps: 13. Rogers credits his loan spells in lower leagues for his development. He moved to Villa for £8m and was a 'football geek' as a boy.
Forwards
Anthony Gordon
Club: Newcastle | Age: 25 | Caps: 17. Released by Liverpool at 11, Gordon joined Newcastle for £40m. He reads motivational books and emphasizes resilience.
Harry Kane
Club: Bayern Munich | Age: 32 | Caps: 112. Kane overtook Pelé's international scoring record and won his first club trophy with Bayern. He faced tough times on loan at Norwich and Leicester.
Noni Madueke
Club: Arsenal | Age: 24 | Caps: 10. Madueke chose PSV over Manchester United to get first-team experience. He learned Dutch quickly and is a fashion enthusiast.
Marcus Rashford
Club: Manchester United | Age: 28 | Caps: 70. Rashford, an MBE and poverty campaigner, arrives at the World Cup after a loan at Barcelona. He cited inconsistent management at United as a challenge.
Bukayo Saka
Club: Arsenal | Age: 24 | Caps: 48. Saka's first name means 'adds to happiness' and his nickname is 'Little Chilli'. He reads Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now for mindfulness.
Ollie Watkins
Club: Aston Villa | Age: 30 | Caps: 20. Watkins scored the last-minute goal that sent England to the Euro 2024 final. He listens to heavy hip-hop before matches.
Ivan Toney
Club: Al-Ahli | Age: 30 | Caps: 7. Toney is the surprise inclusion, having moved to Saudi Arabia. He claims the Saudi league is on a par with the Premier League.
