England closed their pre-World Cup send-off series with a defeat to Japan at Wembley. Thomas Tuchel used two 35-man groups across the friendlies with Uruguay and Japan to evaluate options; he now has to reduce that list to 26 for the tournament opener against Croatia on 17 June in Arlington, Texas. Below is a 26-man prediction and the thinking behind the key calls.
Predicted 26-man squad
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford.
Defenders: Reece James, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Tino Livramento, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Nico O’Reilly, Lewis Hall.
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Elliot Anderson, Morgan Rogers, Declan Rice, Adam Wharton, Kobbie Mainoo.
Forwards: Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, Cole Palmer, Danny Welbeck, Jarrod Bowen.
Why these picks?
Defence: Tuchel has a wealth of centre-back options, but balance matters. Stones, Guehi and Konsa have been consistent and trusted; Maguire is retained as experienced cover. His tournament know‑how, aerial presence and leadership provide a reliable option off the bench and an alternative profile to ball-playing partners. Full-back and wing-back choices priori
