13 England players guaranteed on the plane in World Cup 2026 squad – and 6 big names facing heartbreak

Where talent is concerned, Tuchel is blessed with an embarrassment of riches. Though that leaves the German coach facing some big selection dilemmas as next summer's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico approaches.

Qualification is not yet confirmed, but the preparations for the World Cup 2026 are well under way, with the German coach suggesting his team will "take the next steps" during the current international break.

His squad has taken shape and though there is still plenty of time for players to force their way in, there is a group of 13 players that by our count are (injury aside) guaranteed a place on the plane – Harry Kane, Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, Reece James, Ezri Konsa, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Dan Burn, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins and Bukayo Saka.

Many more can feel confident of their spot but Tuchel's decision to name an unchanged squad for the October international break, a reward to those who delivered the most convincing moment of his tenure in September's 5-0 hammering of Serbia, is the latest warning that some prior stalwarts could miss out.

With that in mind, we've highlighted six big names that are facing heartbreak ahead of next summer's World Cup.

Jack Grealish

Jack Grealish could barely have dreamt of a better start at Everton – bagging one goal and four assists in seven Premier League games – and yet still, he remains out of Tuchel's squad.

England supporters and managers have tended, in recent years, not to see eye to eye concerning the fan favourite. The calls from the stands for his inclusion are always loud but Grealish has rarely been a regular starter.

The Man City loanee recently revealed that he has spoken to Tuchel and understands the fierce competition on the left flank.

"Rashy’s [Marcus Rashford] flying, Eze, Anthony Gordon, you know, everyone’s doing so well," he admitted. "I can’t really complain, it is what it is."

It's that competition that leaves Grealish facing a second consecutive tournament omission.

Kyle Walker

Kyle Walker's illustrious England career looks set to end four caps short of a century.

The 35-year-old was one of Southgate's most reliable lieutenants, an ever-present whose recovery pace saved teammates' blushes over and over again, but time comes for us all.

Walker has lost a yard of that much-revered pace and his positioning is suspect at the highest level as a result. He looked out of his depth in the summer's defeat to Senegal and Tuchel appears to have moved on.

That the England coach did not reach out to him about his latest squad omission speaks to where the veteran now is in the pecking order.

Harry Maguire

One of the most underrated players of the Southgate era, Harry Maguire has barely put a foot wrong for England at a major tournament.

It is now more than a year since Maguire's last England involvement, however, and given he struggles to hold down a place in a sub-par Man Utd side, it is hard to see that changing.

Newcastle United's Dan Burn offers the physicality and set-piece threat that the 32-year-old provided for years under Southgate.

Tuchel has previously suggested the Red Devils defender "will always be in contention" for the England squad but it feels like a direct shoot-out between him and Burn for one spot. Right now, the Newcastle man is miles ahead.

Luke Shaw

Fitness has long been an issue for Luke Shaw but though the defender has been an ever-present for Man Utd in the early weeks of the 2025/26 campaign, he was not named in Tuchel's latest squad and has not featured for England since their Euro 2024 final defeat.

The German coach appears to favour younger, more energetic and aggressive full-back options – as the selections of Myles Lewis-Skelly, Djed Spence and Nico O'Reilly show.

That he is playing as part of a back three at Old Trafford, and not flying down the left flank, is unlikely to have helped his cause and could make it tough for him to wrestle back a place on the plane.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

The Trent Alexander-Arnold conundrum is not a new one. The right-back is one of the most creative and technically talented players England have ever produced but, in part due to his defensive limitations, finding a place for him has consistently been a struggle.

A slow start and injury at Real Madrid have not helped his cause, meaning Alexander-Arnold has fallen below other options.

Tuchel favourite Reece James looks set to be first choice while there is plenty of competition behind him, such as Tino Livramento and Djed Spence.

Alexander-Arnold needs to make himself a player that is impossible to leave out but has limited time to do so and faces a battle to force his way into the offing at the Bernabeu.

Phil Foden

It seems crazy that a player of Phil Foden's talent could miss out but that speaks to the quality that Tuchel has to choose from.

The England boss appears to favour pace on the left flank, in the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Gordon, while Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer are first choice in attacking midfield, and he's now behind the likes of Ebere Eze and Morgan Rogers in the pecking order as bench options.

Tuchel has admitted that those on the outside could run out of time to win back a place in the squad, so while there have been signs recently that Foden is getting back to his best, more is clearly needed from the Man City man to avoid heartbreak next summer.

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