Former England forward Alan Shearer has named his Three Lions’ XI that could potentially go on and win the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
England are considered one of the favourites to win the title. The back-to-back UEFA EURO runners-up have a star-studded side laden with talent and helmed by German tactician Thomas Tuchel.
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They beat Croatia 4-2 to kick off their campaign on a positive note; however, they were held to a 0-0 draw by a determined Ghana side in their second fixture. They could still qualify as group toppers with a win over Panama in their final game of Group L.
The starting lineup for England has been debated widely among fans and pundits alike. In a recent exclusive with Metro, Shearer gave his opinion on the matter by naming the XI he would prefer to see.
The 55-year-old has kept the nation’s No. 1 shotstopper, Jordan Pickford, in between the sticks. His defense consists of Reece James, John Stones, Marc Guehi and Nico O’Reilly – a mixture of experience and youth.
Shearer has gone for balance in the middle of the park, with Elliot Anderson in an enforcing role, Declan Rice in a box-to-box capacity and Jude Bellingham as a marauding midfielder. He has made some interesting picks on the wing, opting for Bukayo Saka, who is still recovering from injury, and Marcus Rashford, who has featured as a substitute in both games thus far.
Up top, Shearer naturally stuck with Harry Kane, England’s current captain and all-time leading scorer (81 goals in 116 appearances). The former Newcastle man believes that the team he picked is capable of winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“I actually like the idea” – Gary Neville urges England manager Thomas Tuchel to make two changes for FIFA World Cup clash vs Panama
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has urged England boss Thomas Tuchel to make two changes to his lineup for his side’s FIFA World Cup clash against Panama. The 51-year-old claimed that he would like to see Nico O’Reilly and Morgan Rogers come in for Djed Spence and Anthony Gordon.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville said (via Metro):
“I don’t want to pile on to Anthony Gordon because I think he’s a really good player. He’s had two difficult games, but I didn’t think that Marcus Rashford should come on on that left-hand side. I actually thought it should be Morgan Rogers.”
“I like Djed Spence, I’ve got a lot of time for him. I can see that he sort of works hard, but I think Nico O’Reilly will probably come back in. So I’d like to see Nico O’Reilly and Morgan Rogers off that left-hand side. The rest of the team. I’m pretty comfortable leaving it as it is,” Neville added.
England will take on Panama at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Saturday (June 27). If they win the game, they will advance to the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as Group L toppers.
Edited by Aaryan Nagraj
