The best England players in every position 26/27

It is safe to say that the 2026 World Cup did not end in the way England supporters hoped it would.

The Three Lions made it to the semi-finals and were 1-0 up against Lionel Messi’s Argentina. Up to that point, Thomas Tuchel’s men were good value for their lead until things changed the moment a few substitutions were made.

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The way England exited the tournament attracted huge criticism from pundits and fans alike, seemingly upset with the negativity of Tuchel’s tactics. England went full defensive and were made to pay the price when they lost 2-1.

Still, they did salvage some pride when they defeated France 6-4 during a bonkers bronze medal match to secure their best finish at World Cup since winning the event in 1966.

But now the tournament is long over and domestic football has returned, who stands out as England’s best players? We’ve ranked all the contenders.

Ranking factors – to help rank the players in order, we’ve used the following criteria:

• Current form
• Importance to team
• Reputation and honours

Goalkeepers

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Jordan Pickford has been England’s number one since 2018 and the Everton star didn’t relinquish his position in north America. That said, he still had a few nervy moments. Will he still be a regular starting in four years? Time will tell.

James Trafford could certainly have something to say about that. Now at Leeds United after a club-record move, the England goalkeeper has impressed many at Elland Road with his passing range and shot-stopping. At 23 years old, he is destined to take Pickford’s No.1 spot sooner or later.

Dean Henderson, meanwhile, is never a bad backup to turn to. The Crystal Palace man is an FA Cup and European winner these days.

Defence

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It’s safe to say that heading into the tournament, the defensive spots in Tuchel’s England squad were generating the biggest talking points. Marc Guehi arrived in the USA as England’s best defender but didn’t actually start their first game. Instead, it was Ezir Konsa and John Stones who were preferred to begin with.

Since then, there’s been several changes in domestic football to highlight Tuchel’s best backline. Konsa is now an Arsenal player, Djed Spence is now at Inter Milan and Guehi continues to play a key role at Manchester City.

There’s also a case for Lewis Hall again, as there was throughout the summer. The left-back has constantly been on Manchester United’s radar and for very good reason.

Midfielders

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England’s star man at the World Cup was undoubtedly Jude Bellingham. He scored seven goals and carried the weight of a nation on his shoulders. We all know how good he is but this only proved why he deserves to be rated so highly alongside the best players in the world right now.

Behind him, whilst some struggled at the World Cup, there’s once again been some interesting moves on the domestic front. Elliot Anderson earned a £116m move to Manchester City during the tournament and Morgan Rogers then joined Chelsea for £117m, breaking the British record first set by his international colleague to join a resurgent Cole Palmer.

It’s also worth noting that it’s a big season for Phil Foden, as the Man City star looks to earn his way back into the England setup and return to his best form at the Etihad.

Forwards

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Are there any superlatives left to describe the mighty Harry Kane? What a tournament he had in the summer of 2026. He found the net on six occasions and went past Gary Lineker to become England’s all-time leading scorer at World Cups.

To the side of him, there’s also a lot to be said about Anthony Gordon now that the tournament is long gone and he’s a Barcelona player. He has made an excellent start to life at the Nou Camp and will be crucial for England if he goes up another level or two.

The same can be said for Bukayo Saka. After a tough World Cup, in which he never truly looked fit, he’s looked as sharp as ever for Arsenal as the Gunners go in defence of their Premier League crown.

Competition for places is still rife under Tuchel, however, with Marcus Rashford, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Noni Madueke still vying for a place amongst the best.