Choose your England starting XI for 2026 World Cup opener vs. Croatia

Thomas Tuchel is the man tasked with ending England’s painful 60-year wait for a second World Cup title when he leads the Three Lions at this summer’s eagerly-anticipated 2026 tournament.

Ranked fourth in the world by FIFA, England are viewed by many as one of the main contenders to progress deep in the newly-expanded 48-team competition co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Three Lions roared their way through UEFA qualifying in impressive fashion by winning all eight of their group matches, scoring 22 goals without reply.

The 1966 champions are now preparing to test their mettle in Group L against fellow European outfit Croatia, African giants Ghana and Central American side Panama.

After facing New Zealand and Costa Rica in warm-up fixtures, England will kick-start their World Cup campaign with arguably their trickiest encounter, on paper, against 2018 finalist Croatia at AT&T Stadium in Texas.

Here, Sports Mole gives you the chance to select your England XI against Croatia - be sure to share your selections with your friends and on social media!

Who will you select in your England starting lineup vs. Croatia?

Barring any injury issues, there are a handful of England players who seemed to be firmly cemented in Tuchel’s strongest starting lineup, and one of those is goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Despite struggling with fitness problems throughout the 2025-26 season, departing Man City defender John Stones is part of Tuchel’s 26-man squad and is a contender to form a centre-back partnership with either Marc Guehi or Ezri Konsa, unless the latter two start together instead.

Chelsea’s Reece James appears to be the frontrunner for the right-back spot ahead of Tino Livramento, while rising star Nico O’Reilly - England’s new No.3 - is expected to operate at left-back after elevating his game to new heights at the Etihad Stadium.

Declan Rice is seemingly one of the first names on Tuchel’s teamsheet, with the Arsenal midfielder likely to link arms with in-demand Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson in the middle of the pitch.

Jude Bellingham has been handed England’s No.10 shirt which could be an indication that he is set to win the race to play in the central attacking midfield role ahead of Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers.

Out wide, Bukayo Saka is back to full fitness and is expected to start on the right flank ahead of Arsenal teammate Noni Madueke, while new Barcelona signing Anthony Gordon will battle with fellow Catalan winger Marcus Rashford for the left-wing berth.

Few will be surprised to see England captain and all-time record goalscorer Harry Kane lead the line for Tuchel’s team. The Bayern Munich striker is a Ballon d’Or contender this year after scoring a remarkable 61 goals in just 51 games in the 2025-26 season.

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