When is the England squad for the World Cup 2026 announced? | Football

Thomas Tuchel will likely be agonising over the make-up of his England squad for the World Cup with just five weeks to go until the tournament gets underway on June 11.

The Three Lions boss has the unenviable task of whittling down his envious collection of talent into just 26 spots, with the chosen players looking to win the first trophy for the England men’s team since their iconic World Cup triumph in 1966.

Tuchel’s team get their Group L campaign underway against Croatia on June 17, before turning their attention to Ghana on June 23 and then Panama on June 27.

But before then, Tuchel faces an anxious wait to see if his stars can make it through the final weeks of the season unscathed with matters at the top and bottom of the table – as well as in Europe – still to be resolved.

When does the England squad get announced?

England, along with the other teams taking part in the World Cup, must submit a preliminary squad of up to 55 players by Monday, May 11.

The final squad of 26 players must be submitted to FIFA by Saturday, May 30which is 18 days before their opener against Croatia.

Up until the first game, national team managers will also be able to take an additional nine players to the World Cup to take part in training.

Players must be released to their national teams by their clubs by Monday, May 25. There is an exception, however, for players who will be taking part in the Europa Conference League (May 27) and Champions League (May 30) finals.

This could prove something of a headache for Tuchel, with English players from Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Crystal Palace joining up late with the squad should any of the sides make it through to their respective European finals.

Tuchel will have the opportunity to fine-tune his preparations with two pre-tournament friendlies scheduled against New Zealand and Costa Rica on June 6 and June 10 respectively.

Who could be in the England squad?

Whilst predicting the make-up of any World Cup squad can be a difficult undertaking, there are several players who are all but guaranteed a spot on the plane.

These include the likes of Jordan Pickford, Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guehi, Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane.

It also seems extremely likely that players such as Ezri Konsa, John Stones, Eberechi Eze, Morgan Rogers and Anthony Gordon will all be packing their passports for the trip Stateside this summer.

Marcus Rashford has also seemingly done enough on loan at Barcelona to represent his country at a fifth major tournament, having missed out on the squad for Euro 2024.

Rashford’s Manchester United teammate Kobbie Mainoo, who has been one of the standout performers for Manchester United since Ruben Amorim was sacked, also appears to have persuaded Tuchel that he should head to the World Cup as cover for Rice and Anderson.

While Cole Palmer’s inclusion is not thought to be under any serious doubt, an underwhelming season with Chelsea, compared to his lofty standards, has at least started a debate as to whether the 23-year-old deserves his place in Tuchel’s squad – something which seemed unquestionable 12 months ago.

One player who is facing an uphill battle to make the final cut is Phil Foden, who has fallen out of favour at Manchester City in recent months.

Once a shoe-in for previous England squads, it now seems increasingly likely that Foden will have a free summer on his hands with Tuchel not short of options in the forward areas.

The battle to be Kane’s understudy is an unpredictable one, with the likes of Ollie Watkins, Dominic Solanke and Dominic Calvert-Lewin all in the mix.

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