England manager Thomas Tuchel has named his 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup.
There were some big calls for the German to make, with a few surprise inclusions as well as exclusions. But Tuchel appears to be very happy with the squad he is taking to North America.
So now all eyes will turn to England’s opening game against Croatia on 17th June. There are still a couple of friendlies to come to iron a few details out, but conversations are starting as to who will start in England’s World Cup opener.
We’ve broken down the latest odds on who’s likely to make Tuchel’s starting lineup — splitting the categories into goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards.
Goalkeepers
Surely only injury will stop Jordan Pickford from starting in goal against Croatia. He’s been England’s undisputed No.1 for eight years, since the 2018 World Cup, where he got the nod ahead of Jack Butland and Nick Pope. The Everton shot-stopper is an incredible 1/50 to start against Croatia, the shortest odds of any player in England’s squad. It just goes to show how locked down this spot is. Dean Henderson is fancied next, so many expect him to be the backup should anything happen to Pickford, with James Trafford least likely.
| Goalkeeper | Best Odds |
|---|---|
| Jordan Pickford | 1/50 (with bet365) |
| Dean Henderson | 18/1 (with bet365) |
| James Trafford | 33/1 (with bet365) |
Defenders
Some of the defensive names in Tuchel’s squad raised a few eyebrows, not least with the likes of Harry Maguire and Trent Alexander-Arnold missing out. But, there’s a clear favourite to start at centre-back. Marc Guehi has odds of 1/12 to be in England’s starting XI against Croatia and he is arguably England’s best centre-back option right now. Ezri Konsa (1/3) is also odds-on and expected partner Guehi. But John Stones (13/8) will have an outside chance. Jarell Quansah (12/1) isn’t fancied to lineup on 17th June.
With no Alexander-Arnold, Reece James is 1/3 to start at right-back after finding form and fitness towards the end of the 2025-26 season. Nico O’Reilly is similarly priced, having shone at left-back for Manchester City. Tino Livramento also has decent odds at 7/4 and is capable of playing both sides. Dan Burn and Djed Spence, who can also play multiple defensive positions, are both 6/1 to start.
| Defender | Best Odds |
|---|---|
| Marc Guehi | 1/12 (with bet365) |
| Reece James | 1/3 (with bet365) |
| Ezri Konsa | 1/3 (with bet365) |
| Nico O’Reilly | 1/3 (with bet365) |
| John Stones | 13/8 (with bet365) |
| Tino Livramento | 7/4 (with bet365) |
| Dan Burn | 6/1 (with bet365) |
| Djed Spence | 6/1 (with bet365) |
| Jarell Quansah | 12/1 (with bet365) |
Midfielders
There’s another shoo-in for the midfield and that, unsurprisingly, is Declan Rice. Whichever system Tuchel opts to play, whether it’s a 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, or something more experimental, Rice will be there. The Arsenal man is 1/33 to start against Croatia, with the bigger question being who will partner him.
Elliot Anderson (1/8) is another midfielder to be odds-on favourite to start against Croatia, and you’d expect him to be Rice’s partner in a double pivot. The Nottingham Forest midfielder would allow Rice to be freer in pushing forward. Kobbie Mainoo is 9/2 to start, but he did play his way back into England contention, while Jordan Henderson is 9/2.
Then there’s the biggest question of the lot. Who will start at No.10? Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and — most-surprisingly — Morgan Gibbs-White haven’t made the squad, with Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze the options.
Rogers is currently favourite to start with odds of 8/13, with his ability to play both as a No.10 and on the left potentially aiding his chances. He will go to the World Cup off the back of a trophy, lifting the Europa League with Aston Villa. Jude Bellingham isn’t too far behind, though, with odds of 6/5. He would be the first-choice No.10 in any other year, and was Gareth Southgate’s favourite. But an underwhelming season by his own high standards and reports of off-field issues with Tuchel have seen his place become less certain. Eberechi Eze is in a similar situation to Rogers, with the versatility, though his odds are longer at 9/4.
| Midfielder | Best Odds |
|---|---|
| Declan Rice | 1/33 (with bet365) |
| Elliot Anderson | 1/8 (with bet365) |
| Morgan Rogers | 8/13 (with bet365) |
| Jude Bellingham | 6/5 (with bet365) |
| Eberechi Eze | 9/4 (with bet365) |
| Kobbie Mainoo | 9/2 (with bet365) |
| Jordan Henderson | 10/1 (with bet365) |
Forwards
Harry Kane is another who will be in the starting lineup unless he’s injured. Although, interestingly, the England captain joins Rice on 1/33, still behind Pickford’s odds. But, like Pickford, there’s no real challenge here. Kane may only sit out in the third group game if England have already done the business.
There were questions as to who would play backup to Kane at the World Cup. Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney won the battle — with the latter a bit of a surprise. Bookmakers clearly see Watkins as Kane’s backup, with odds of 14/1 to lead the line against Croatia, with Toney at 25/1 — the longest odds of any outfield England squad member to start the opening match.
With no Palmer, Bukayo Saka is even more of a dead certainty to start against Croatia. He has made the England right-wing spot his own in recent years and is one of the Three Lions’ best players. Even with Palmer at his best, Saka was easily dominating that flank. Noni Madueke is the backup, and he’s not fancied to start against Croatia, with odds of 9/1.
Things are a lot closer on the left. Marcus Rashford and Anthony Gordon are likely to battle it out for the left-wing role, and the latter has been a good pick for Tuchel. Rashford has been in England squads under Tuchel, but he has had to play second fiddle at times — and not just to Gordon. But Rashford is the slight favourite at odds-on, ahead of Gordon’s 6/4.
| Forward | Best Odds |
|---|---|
| Harry Kane | 1/33 (with bet365) |
| Bukayo Saka | 1/6 (with bet365) |
| Marcus Rashford | 1/1 (with bet365) |
| Anthony Gordon | 6/4 (with bet365) |
| Noni Madueke | 9/1 (with bet365) |
| Ollie Watkins | 14/1 (with bet365) |
| Ivan Toney | 25/1 (with bet365) |
How might England line up?
Based on the odds, this would be England’s starting XI to face Croatia, with Jude Bellingham missing out.
