England World Cup 2026 team preview: Players to watch, group and squad list

Previous World Cup appearances: 16 Best performance: Winners (1966) First appearance: 1950 (Brazil) Top goal scorer: Gary Lineker (10) Most appearances: Peter Shilton (18) Player to watch: Harry Kane FIFA world ranking: 4 Fixtures: Croatia (June 17, Dallas), Ghana (June 23, Boston), Panama (June 27, New York) It has now been 60 years of hurt for England, who lifted their only World Cup title in 1966. But while the Three Lions are certainly genuine contenders this time around, they come into the 2026 edition in a rather unsettled mood. Recommended Stories list of 4 items end of list The Three Lions strolled through their group, becoming the first European team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup as they booked their place with two games to spare. However, it’s fair to say that it was not the toughest group, and their performances in recent friendlies have drawn boos from fairly unenthused Wembley crowds, not least the defeats to Senegal and Japan . Can England get a tune out of the likes of Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane? Can the Three Lions find a way back to playing entertaining football? And does coach Thomas Tuchel actually know his best team? Tuchel gambles on ‘chemistry’ The German manager’s squad selection raised a few eyebrows as several key names were left out amid a few surprise inclusions. …