Tuchel names England's 55-man provisional squad for the 2026 World Cup
England head coach Thomas Tuchel submitted a 55-man provisional squad to FIFA for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday. The list is not the final squad: under FIFA rules every participating association files a long preliminary pool three weeks before the tournament, used to manage late injuries.
The 55-man pool allows Tuchel to keep his options open ahead of the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada, which begins on 11 June. The definitive 26-man squad will be announced on 27 May. The BBC reports that the long list is close to the upper limit allowed for non-host nations.
Tuchel said at his press conference: "We start from a very large pool because there is still football to be played and the injury risk is high. Some players are in cup finals at their clubs, others are in European competitions. We will wait for all of them." The German coach is preparing for his first major tournament since taking the England job in December 2024.
FA sources said the list contains 13 forwards, 18 midfielders, 16 defenders and 8 goalkeepers. If the final Premier League weekend goes as expected, two of the three goalkeepers in the final squad are likely to be the first-choice keepers of Manchester City and Arsenal.
Most of the names are unsurprising. Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham are among the senior pool. A handful of less familiar names appear: U21 captain Charlie Cresswell is included, as is a Premier League newcomer from newly promoted Ipswich.
England have a small number of injury concerns. Arsenal defender Ben White's season-ending absence and his probable World Cup miss have been widely covered. Tuchel said: "Losing Ben would be a blow, but we will leave the final decision to our medical team and to the player himself."
France, Germany and Brazil have submitted comparable provisional lists this week. FIFA has required associations to file extended pools before tournaments since 1998, and the practice is particularly useful in seasons when European club finals fall close to the World Cup kick-off.
England are drawn in Group A with hosts Mexico, Algeria and New Zealand. Their first match is on 13 June in Mexico City against Algeria. Under Tuchel, the side has won six of its eight matches since September 2025.
The FA's preparation calendar has the squad gathering at St George's Park on 1 June, with a warm-up game against Latvia at Wembley on Tuesday 2 June. The team will then travel to Toronto for a second warm-up against Canada on 9 June before heading to the team base in Houston.
Tuchel summarised his long-list approach: "Starting with 55 may look like a luxury — for me it is a responsibility. I owe each of these players a clear conversation about what they should expect in the final week. Nobody will be kept in the dark."