Coach Thomas Tuchel has named the 26 players who will represent England at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This global tournament will be held across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Captain Harry Kane will lead the squad. The selection was announced via a live broadcast on the official England app. This marks the beginning of the team's journey towards the World Cup.
The squad announcement featured a special film. The film used music from The Beatles' song "Come Together." It was filmed in New York. This creative presentation aimed to connect with fans. Players will begin their preparation camp on June 1st in Palm Beach, Florida. This camp will include warm-up matches before they travel to their main base in Kansas City on June 13th.
Manager Thomas Tuchel expressed his excitement. He called it a great privilege to name the World Cup squad. He acknowledged the difficulty in making selections. Tuchel stated his full belief in the chosen players. He expects the team to make the country proud. This squad selection is a significant moment for English football. It follows recent performance trends in international competitions.
Several players are reaching personal milestones. Harry Kane will captain England at his third World Cup. This matches the record held by Billy Wright. Jordan Pickford, John Stones, and Marcus Rashford are also attending their third World Cup. Jordan Henderson will play in his fourth World Cup finals. This equals the record set by Sir Bobby Charlton. It will be Henderson's seventh major tournament appearance. This also matches Lucy Bronze's record for England.
Many players will experience their first World Cup. These include Dean Henderson, Marc Guéhi, Eberechi Eze, Anthony Gordon, Ollie Watkins, and Ivan Toney. Reece James also makes his World Cup debut. In total, nine players are set to make their senior tournament debut. These new faces bring fresh energy to the team. This injection of new talent is crucial for future success.
The team will play warm-up matches. They face New Zealand in Tampa on June 6th. They will then play Costa Rica in Orlando on June 10th. England begins its World Cup campaign against Croatia. This opening match is on June 17th in Dallas. Subsequent group matches include a game against Ghana. This match is scheduled for June 23rd in Boston. Their final group game is against Panama on June 27th in New York/New Jersey.