Tuchel drops Foden and Palmer: England’s 26-man World Cup 2026 squad in full — the bold calls explained

Thomas Tuchel has made his point, and he has made it ruthlessly. England’s 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup lands with Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Maguire all left out, while Ivan Toney, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers are rewarded for the form Tuchel actually trusts. My honest read: this is a coherent, slightly cold-blooded squad built around pressing, ball security and Harry Kane finishing whatever the team creates. It is not the squad most fans would have picked, and that is rather the point. Below you will find the full 26, the bold calls explained, the fixtures with UK kick-off times, and where I think the value and the danger lie before England open against Croatia.

England at the 2026 World Cup: the key facts

Before the squad debate, the hard facts. England are in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama, with the opener against Croatia. All times below are UK time (BST).

Source & time note: groups and fixtures per the official 2026 World Cup draw and schedule; squad per the FA’s official announcement (England Football) and reporting from ESPN and Sky Sports. Kick-off times are UK time (BST, UTC+1) and should be reconfirmed closer to the tournament. Outright odds are decimal and vary by bookmaker.

The full England 2026 World Cup squad

Here is the 26 as confirmed by the FA. Three goalkeepers, a deliberately deep and physical defensive unit, a midfield picked for legs and discipline, and an attack that still runs through Kane.

One housekeeping note on club listings: a couple of these moves are recent and reporting has not fully settled, so treat the club column as a guide rather than gospel. Gordon and Rashford in particular have been linked with moves and the badge next to their name matters far less than the role Tuchel hands them.

The bold calls: Foden, Palmer, Trent and Maguire out

Let us start with the omissions, because that is the story. Phil Foden and Cole Palmer are the headline absentees, and both arrive on the back of below-par club seasons. Tuchel has been consistent in public about valuing players who press, track back and protect the ball under pressure over players who only light a game up in possession. On that logic, two of the Premier League’s most gifted creators simply did not make the cut.

Trent Alexander-Arnold missing out is arguably just as significant, given his passing range, and it tells you how firmly Tuchel has decided that defensive structure comes first. Harry Maguire, a reliable tournament presence under previous managers, also falls away. This is a manager backing his system over reputations, and there is no sentiment in it.

In come the players Tuchel trusts. Eberechi Eze is the obvious creative beneficiary, a direct dribbler who can play between the lines without abandoning his defensive duties. Morgan Rogers has emerged as a genuine Tuchel pick: athletic, relentless out of possession and flexible across the front and midfield lines. Ivan Toney gives England a different kind of centre-forward off the bench, and the recall of the experienced Jordan Henderson is pure tournament management, a voice and a metronome for the squad.

Will Bellingham start? The midfield question

This is the tactical knot that defines England’s tournament. Jude Bellingham is in the squad and remains one of the most dangerous big-game players in world football, yet Tuchel has pointedly declined to anoint him as a guaranteed starter. The competition is Morgan Rogers, whose pressing and positional discipline fit the manager’s template more snugly than Bellingham’s roaming, risk-taking game.

My expectation is a compromise. In the group stage, particularly in a controlled opener, Tuchel may lean towards the more structured option and use Bellingham as a game-changer from the bench. Once England reach the knockout rounds, where one moment decides everything, leaving a player of Bellingham’s match-winning quality on the bench becomes very hard to justify. Reports have floated odds on Rogers starting ahead of Bellingham for the opener; I would treat any single-match starting-XI odds as speculative and weather-dependent on selection and fitness.

Kane: still the whole plan

Whatever happens in midfield, the attack runs through one man. Harry Kane captains England at his third World Cup and arrives after a prolific season at Bayern Munich, where he reportedly registered around 61 goals in all competitions, a staggering return for a striker often accused of declining. He is England’s all-time record scorer, he takes the penalties, and at his level of finishing he turns half-chances into goals that flatter the supply line behind him.

That matters for England’s ceiling. The squad is built to control games, win the ball high and feed a clinical finisher, and Kane is about as clinical as the modern game offers. In the Golden Boot market he is a leading contender; bookmakers have priced him close to the top of the list at decimal odds in the region of 8.00 (varies by bookmaker), behind only the likes of Mbappé. If England get deep into the tournament, Kane finishing as top scorer is a perfectly live bet rather than a romantic one.

England’s group fixtures and Group L outlook

England open against Croatia, the 2018 runners-up and 2022 third-placed side, before Ghana and Panama. Croatia is comfortably the toughest assignment on paper; Modrić’s side know how to control a tournament match, and a fast England start matters. Below are England’s group games with UK kick-off times (BST); reconfirm closer to the tournament as broadcasters finalise scheduling.

In the new 48-team format, the top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed teams advance to a Round of 32, so the margin for a slow start is wider than in past tournaments. Even so, beating Croatia would all but seal top spot in Group L, and topping the group usually means a kinder knockout path. England should be strong favourites against Ghana and Panama, but Ghana in particular have the athleticism to make life awkward if England are sloppy.

Betting and value angle: where I would and would not go

On the outright market, England sit among the favourites at roughly 6.5 to 7.5 in decimal odds (varies by bookmaker), behind Spain and France in most prices and around Brazil and Argentina. That feels about right to me: genuine quality, a sensible structure, but a midfield creativity question that the very best sides do not have. At those odds England are a fair each-way thought rather than a confident outright play.

The market I find more interesting is Kane for the Golden Boot at around 8.00 (decimal, varies by bookmaker). If you believe England go deep, you are effectively backing both the run and the finisher in one bet, and Kane converts chances that other strikers waste. Against Croatia specifically, I would be wary of laying heavy money on a comfortable England win; Croatia are organised, experienced and perfectly capable of dragging a game into a tight, low-scoring contest. The handicap and over-2.5-goals lines look like traps in that fixture more than gifts.

Responsible gambling note: odds move, squads change, and nothing here is a guarantee. Only stake what you can comfortably afford to lose, treat any bet as entertainment rather than income, and if betting stops being fun, step away. In the UK, support is available through BeGambleAware and the National Gambling Helpline.

England 2026 World Cup squad: FAQ

Why are Phil Foden and Cole Palmer not in England’s World Cup 2026 squad?

Both miss out after below-par club seasons and because Tuchel prioritises pressing, ball security and defensive structure over pure creativity. Foden struggled at Manchester City and Palmer, despite his talent at Chelsea, was judged not to fit the high-intensity system. Eze, Rogers and Anderson are trusted ahead of them.

Will Jude Bellingham start for England against Croatia?

It is not guaranteed. Tuchel has declined to confirm Bellingham as a certain starter, with Morgan Rogers pushing for the more disciplined midfield role. The likeliest outcome is that Bellingham is used as a high-impact option early in the tournament and becomes far harder to leave out once England reach the knockout rounds. Treat any single-match starting-XI odds as speculative.

What is the score prediction for England v Croatia?

This is an editorial estimate, not an official forecast. England are favourites but Croatia are organised and experienced, so a tight game is likely. A narrow England win, something like 2-1 or 1-0, looks more probable than a blowout. The over-2.5-goals and handicap lines look risky in this specific fixture.

What UK time is England v Croatia at the 2026 World Cup?

England open against Croatia on Wednesday 17 June at 21:00 UK time (BST). Kick-off times can shift as broadcasters finalise the schedule, so reconfirm closer to the date.

Could England go out in the group stage?

It is unlikely but not impossible. In the 48-team format the top two of each group plus the eight best third-placed teams advance, which gives England a wide safety net. A genuine group-stage exit would require losing to Croatia and then dropping points against Ghana or Panama, which would be a major underperformance rather than a normal outcome.

What are England’s odds to win the 2026 World Cup?

England are among the favourites at roughly 6.5 to 7.5 in decimal odds, varying by bookmaker, typically behind Spain and France and around Brazil and Argentina. These prices move constantly, so always check a current market before betting.

Is Harry Kane likely to win the Golden Boot?

He is a leading contender, priced around 8.00 in decimal odds (varies by bookmaker), behind only the likes of Mbappé. Kane captains a team built to feed him and is one of the game’s most clinical finishers, so if England progress deep into the tournament, Kane as top scorer is a live bet rather than a long shot.

Who replaced Foden and Palmer in the England squad?

Tuchel turned to players who fit his system: Eberechi Eze takes on the creative No. 10 responsibility, Morgan Rogers offers athleticism and pressing across the front and midfield, and the experienced Jordan Henderson and Ivan Toney add tournament know-how and a different attacking option from the bench.

The verdict

Tuchel has handed England a squad that says everything about how he wants them to play: controlled, physical, hard to break down and built to deliver the ball to the best finisher at the tournament. It is a braver selection than most managers would dare, and it leaves real talent at home. Whether it wins a World Cup depends on one thing above all, namely whether this team can create enough in the games that matter. Get that right and England are genuine contenders. Get it wrong and we will spend the summer wondering what Palmer might have conjured. It starts against Croatia on 17 June, and I, for one, cannot wait to find out which version we get.

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