"Football's coming home" has been England's song for sixty years, and the trophy has not come home once in that time. England reached the finals of Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 and lost both. Thomas Tuchel is now in charge and brings the pedigree of a Champions League win with Chelsea. With Jude Bellingham a star at Real Madrid, Bukayo Saka tormenting defences for Arsenal and Harry Kane still scoring freely at Bayern Munich, England have the squad to win it. Whether they will is the old question.
Tuchel's side sits around 4th in the FIFA ranking.
Is this finally England's World Cup?
The squad says it could be:
- Bellingham is a global star at Real Madrid who scores, creates and leads, and at just 22 he is already world class.
- Saka is one of the best wingers in world football, consistent and dangerous, with a real end product.
- Kane has 60+ goals for England and is one of the finest strikers in the game's history.
- Tuchel brings elite coaching and knockout experience from winning the Champions League.
Behind those four sit Foden and Rice, and the record of two straight European Championship finals shows they know how to reach the end of a tournament.
Nobody can seriously deny that England have the talent to win the 2026 World Cup. Tuchel also brings the tactical edge that Southgate sometimes lacked. But English football and heartbreak go together like fish and chips, and the nation will be praying that 2026 ends differently.
Tomorrow: number 2.
