England vs. Croatia: Four key selection dilemmas for Thomas Tuchel ahead of 2026 World Cup opener

After coming up short in multiple major tournaments under Gareth Southgate, Thomas Tuchel is the man tasked with ending England’s painful 60-year wait to win silverware at the 2026 World Cup.

Tuchel oversaw a perfect qualification campaign, as the Three Lions won all eight matches and did not concede a single goal, comfortably topping their group ahead of Albania, Serbia, Latvia and Andorra.

Ranked fourth in the world by FIFA, England landed in the United States at the beginning of this month and secured back-to-back victories over New Zealand and Costa Rica in their final two warm-up matches.

England beat Costa Rica 3-0 last week and Tuchel is likely to name a similar lineup when the 1966 champions face Croatia in their opening Group L fixture in Dallas on Wednesday.

While the likes of star striker Harry Kane, midfielder Declan Rice and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford are among the first names on Tuchel’s teamsheet, there are four positions that still seem to be up for grabs, giving the German coach plenty to ponder.

Bellingham or Rogers for the No.10 position?

One of the most fiercely debated tactical questions has centred around who starts in the central attacking midfield role for England between close friends Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers.

Rogers enjoyed a successful 2025-26 season as a star player in Aston Villa’s Europa League-winning team, recording 14 goals and 12 assists in 55 games, while he was also a mainstay in Tuchel’s England side throughout World Cup qualifying.

Bellingham, meanwhile, experienced an injury-hit and trophyless campaign at Real Madrid, but he is viewed as a big personality in this England squad and has previously produced game-changing moments on the international stage.

The 22-year-old performed well in the friendly win over Costa Rica and is also understood to have impressed in training, so England’s No.10 may have done enough to secure the starting role that matches his shirt number, at least for the opening match against Croatia.

Saka or Madueke for the right-wing position?

Bukayo Saka would usually be one of the first names on the teamsheet for England, but concerns surrounding his fitness have opened the door for Arsenal teammate Noni Madueke to rival him for a start on the right-wing.

Saka has been dealing with a niggling Achilles injury in recent months and Tuchel has said that the 24-year-old is unlikely to play the full 90 minutes in any game at this summer’s World Cup.

In response, Saka has insisted that he is “ready to go” and is “feeling better than I have felt in the last few months”, adding that he will continue 'gambling' with his fitness in order to represent his country.

Whether Saka starts on Wednesday will ultimately depend on his fitness. Even if Saka is around 70% fit, Tuchel may be tempted to start the Premier League winner in England’s toughest Group L fixture against Croatia.

Rashford or Gordon for the left-wing position?

On the other flank, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Gordon find themselves locked in a straight shootout for the starting left-wing position in England’s lineup.

Rashford has been Tuchel’s primary left-wing option since the German was appointed 18 months ago and enters this summer’s tournament on the back of contributing to 28 goals (14 goals, 14 assists) for La Liga champions Barcelona last season.

The 28-year-old is also an established England international, boasting 72 caps earned over the last decade, but Gordon is also admired greatly by Tuchel and is in high spirits after securing a dream transfer to Barcelona – possibly to replace Rashford at Camp Nou.

Gordon scored a team-high 17 goals in his final season for Newcastle and made a notable impression in England’s final warm-up game against Costa Rica, scoring a penalty in Kane’s absence. However, the general feeling at present is that Rashford may get the nod to start the World Cup on the left.

Guehi, Konsa or Stones? Which two will start at centre-back?

Manchester City’s Marc Guehi was once considered a shoo-in to start at the heart of Tuchel’s defence and could yet still be selected in England’s XI against Croatia, but his omission from the starting side against Costa Rica has thrown his place into doubt.

Having played in seven of England’s eight World Cup qualifiers and enjoyed a solid campaign with Aston Villa, Ezri Konsa will feel that he has done all he can to secure a centre-back spot in Tuchel’s team.

As for John Stones, his selection in the England squad raised some eyebrows after he was on the fringes of a Man City side that won a domestic double and has experienced challenging periods with his fitness in recent years.

Stones is highly regarded by Tuchel, though, and has 89 international caps under his belt, including 26 appearances across five major tournaments. The ball-playing 32-year-old now looks to be the preferred defender to start alongside Konsa in the middle of a back four.