Three Lions ready to roar: England head to Kansas with momentum behind them
England arrive at the 2026 World Cup in fine form after a commanding 3-0 win over Costa Rica. This dispatch covers Tuchel's 26-man squad, the selection battles around Bellingham, Gordon and Stones, Group L fixtures, and the media mood heading into the Croatia opener on 17 June.
England arrive at the 2026 World Cup in the best possible shape after a commanding 3-0 win over Costa Rica in Orlando completed their pre-tournament preparations. With Croatia waiting in Dallas on Wednesday 17 June, Thomas Tuchel has selection dilemmas that are the good kind — a squad depth problem, not a talent problem.
Here is where the Three Lions stand as the serious business begins.
The warm-up results
England 1-0 New Zealand (Tampa, 6 June) — a tight, low-intensity run-out that gave Tuchel a useful physical workout but few tactical answers. The head coach used two separate elevens across both halves and was openly displeased with the lack of urgency. 1
England 3-0 Costa Rica (Orlando, 10 June) — a different story entirely. A one-hour delay caused by violent lightning storms at the Inter&Co Stadium only added to the theatre; once the game started, England were sharp, physical and fluid. Declan Rice opened the scoring with a deflected drive after nine minutes, Anthony Gordon doubled the lead from the penalty spot after Eberechi Eze's shot was handled, and substitute Ollie Watkins headed a third with three minutes remaining. 1
The numbers behind the Costa Rica win were eye-catching, and they sit within a broader pattern of defensive solidity under Tuchel. 1
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Tuchel summed it up after the final whistle:
"The attitude, the energy, the intensity was on a very high level. Tonight makes my mind very calm — we are absolutely on the right way." — Thomas Tuchel, speaking to ITV 2
The squad Tuchel named
Thomas Tuchel selected his 26-man party on 22 May, with the announcement broadcast live from Wembley and set to The Beatles' Come Together — a piece of cultural stagecraft that landed well with supporters. 3
The key selection notes:
- Harry Kane captains England at a third World Cup, equalling Billy Wright's record set across 1950, 1954 and 1958. The Bayern Munich striker has 79 international goals in 114 appearances.
- Jordan Henderson (Brentford) will make a record-equalling fourth appearance at a World Cup finals, drawing level with Sir Bobby Charlton. It is also his seventh major tournament — matching Lucy Bronze's all-time England record across Euros and World Cups.
- Trent Alexander-Arnold was left out, with Tuchel opting for greater flexibility at right back through Reece James, Djed Spence and Tino Livramento.
- Nine players are at their first major tournament: James Trafford, Tino Livramento, Nico O'Reilly, Djed Spence, Dan Burn, Jarell Quansah, Elliot Anderson, Noni Madueke and Morgan Rogers.
- Anthony Gordon (Barcelona) and Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, on loan from Manchester United) both make the cut, setting up a competition for the left-wing berth that has become a genuine talking point in camp.
Full squad:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guéhi (Manchester City), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
Forwards: Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona/Man Utd), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
The selection headaches — and why Tuchel is comfortable having them
With Croatia six days away, Tuchel has not confirmed his starting XI and has given little away deliberately. "I have another six days," he told reporters after the Costa Rica win. "We will not give any decisions away." 4
Bellingham or Rogers at No. 10?
This is the biggest call of Tuchel's tenure so far. Morgan Rogers has been the head coach's choice in possession of the shirt — Tuchel stuck with the 23-year-old Aston Villa midfielder even as Bellingham was working his way back from shoulder and hamstring injuries at Real Madrid. But the Orlando performance shifted the conversation.
Bellingham started against Costa Rica, produced a brilliant through ball for Madueke in the first half, then conjured the sleight-of-foot run that led to Gordon's penalty. He looked like a man determined to make the decision impossible to avoid. When asked if it was a tough call to leave Bellingham out, Tuchel replied: "It's a fight." 4
Rogers came off the bench and showed his own quality — Tuchel even deployed Bellingham as a false nine briefly when Rogers was on — but on the evidence of the two warm-up games, the Real Madrid man appears to have the edge.
Gordon or Rashford on the left?
Rashford was England's standout performer against New Zealand; Gordon looked flat in that game, having sat out Newcastle's final weeks after the transfer to Barcelona was confirmed. But in Orlando Gordon was transformed — electric on the ball, tormenting Costa Rica right-back Shawn Johnson and finishing a composed penalty with Harry Kane off the pitch. Roy Keane told ITV after the final whistle: "Anthony Gordon will be on a high with his dream move to Barcelona. You would think he would get the nod." 1
It is tight. Both players will feel they are in contention; Tuchel may not commit until after Thursday's closed-doors session against Miami FC, which is designed partly to give unused players extra minutes and partly to iron out tactical details ahead of Dallas.
Kane's new role
At 32, Kane is operating with a broader brief than at any previous tournament. Tuchel has given him a roving commission — not just a penalty-box presence but a deep creator, capable of picking up the ball from his own defenders and spraying passes across the pitch. Against Costa Rica there were moments that showed why this works: a stunning right-footed pass from a deep position that carved open four defenders to find Gordon; and an early link-up that started England's first goal. The BBC's Phil McNulty described the role as one that gives England "an X-factor if they drive deep into the World Cup and have to unlock superior opposition." 4
Stones' fitness
The inclusion of John Stones in the squad despite a difficult season at Manchester City raised eyebrows; Tuchel's decision to leave Harry Maguire out put more focus on the 31-year-old's readiness. Stones played 45 minutes against New Zealand and 63 against Costa Rica — and looked assured on both occasions. If he is fully fit, the expectation is that he lines up alongside Marc Guéhi against Croatia. 4
Group L: what England face
England are in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama. Their schedule: 3
| Date | Opponents | Venue | Kick-off (BST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 17 June | Croatia | Dallas (AT&T Stadium) | 21:00 |
| Tue 23 June | Ghana | Boston (Gillette Stadium) | 21:00 |
| Sat 27 June | Panama | New York/New Jersey (MetLife) | 22:00 |
Croatia will be the first real test. The 2018 finalists and 2022 third-placed side have lost their golden generation's peak but remain stubborn and experienced; they gave England a tough afternoon in the Euro 2024 group stage opener before losing 1-0. Ghana, drawn with England, Croatia and Panama, have the talent to cause an upset — as they showed at previous World Cups — but their preparation has been disrupted by the absence of key winger Mohammed Kudus. Panama are the group's weakest side on paper. A place in the last 32 should be achievable; it is the quality of progress that will set the tone for what comes next.
Fan and media mood
Expectations heading into this tournament sit somewhere between cautious optimism and genuine belief — a more grounded position than in previous cycles, when the gap between hype and performance opened up cruelly. The back pages the morning after the Costa Rica win were positive without being hysterical. Declan Rice's quote captured the feel from inside camp: "We're building confidence, fitness — going into that first game we've got more training sessions. We're going to keep building and it's really good." 1
Ian Wright was similarly measured on ITV, welcoming the performance but noting the standard of opposition: "I thought Costa Rica were poor, but I thought the way we went at them is what we should be doing. We should take more of those chances we missed as well." A clean sheet, goals from midfield and a fringe player pressing for starts — there are legitimate reasons for supporters to feel settled. Croatia will tell us far more.
England's base for the tournament is Kansas City. The squad travel there on Saturday 14 June after their behind-closed-doors session against Miami FC, giving Tuchel four days to finalise preparations before the real thing begins.
References
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- 3England squad named for 2026 World Cup – England Football
englandfootball.com
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