Choose your England squad for the 2026 World Cup

As the season draws to a close, excitement is brewing in the background for World Cup 2026, and England fans are debating Thomas Tuchel's options after a provisional squad was submitted to FIFA on Monday.

Here, with the England World Cup 2026 squad announcement date rapidly approaching, Sports Mole offers you the chance to pick your own 26-man Three Lions squad for this summer's tournament!

England World Cup 2026 squad: Thomas Tuchel's biggest dilemmas

One of the most consistent dilemmas England managers have faced this decade has been whether or not to include Trent Alexander-Arnold in their XI (or even their squad entirely).

The right-back has often come in for criticism from Tuchel, and while he has reportedly been included in the manager's preliminary list, it remains to be seen if he will be on the plane to North America, especially after his dire showing during Real Madrid's 2-0 El Clasico defeat on Sunday.

At left-back, Nico O'Reilly has been one of the Premier League's breakout stars this season, while England favourite Luke Shaw has shockingly been able to stay fit throughout 2025-26, though the likes of Lewis Hall have found minutes hard to come by, and it will be interesting to see which - and how many - full-backs make the squad.

In the centre of the park, Declan Rice is a shoo-in for the Three Lions midfield, as is Jude Bellingham, but Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton and Kobbie Mainoo are all battling it out for the final spot in Tuchel's trio.

Elsewhere, Harry Kane is a guaranteed starter and has enjoyed a remarkable 55-goal campaign at the tip of Bayern Munich's star-studded frontline, yet it is unclear who will be first-choice to support him up top in an England shirt this summer.

Cole Palmer has struggled this season after sustaining a recurrent groin injury early on that had sparked internal debates at Chelsea about the need for surgery, while Bukayo Saka has not been at his best despite Arsenal topping the Premier League table.

With that in mind, there could be space in the XI for the likes of Liverpool-linked Jarrod Bowen and Nottingham Forest talisman Morgan Gibbs-White, both of whom have enjoyed excellent terms in spite of battling relegation.

In terms of squad selection, Ollie Watkins may make the cut once again after helping to send Aston Villa into the Europa League final, while 35-year-old Danny Welbeck has been resurgent in 2025-26, and is said to be part of Tuchel's preliminary 55-man group.