Who Is England Playing at 2026 World Cup and What's Their Path to World Cup Final?

England's journey to the 2026 World Cup began on Friday with the draw putting the squad in Group L.

New head coach Thomas Tuchel, who took over on Jan. 1 after Gareth Southgate stepped down earlier than expected following England's loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final, will be looking to improve on the country's sixth-place showing at the World Cup in 2022.

One thing Tuchel has emphasized since his hiring was the desire to build the best team of 26 players rather than simply take the 26 best players.

Tuchel is trying to put all of the pieces in place to help England get back to the World Cup final for the first time since winning the tournament in 1966.

Here is a complete look at England's group and schedule at the 2026 World Cup, along with a breakdown of their top players to watch under the brightest spotlight the sport has to offer.

England World Cup 2026 Group L

• England
• Croatia
• Ghana
• Panama

England World Cup 2026 Schedule

• June 17: England vs. Croatia
• June 23: England vs. Ghana
• June 27: England vs. Panama

Top England Players to Watch

Jude Bellingham

One of the most fascinating things that has happened with the England team since Tuchel took over is trying to figure out where Jude Bellingham factors in

Since Bellingham had shoulder surgery in July that kept him out for two months, Tuchel surprisingly left him off the roster for games against Wales and Latvia in October even though he had played four club matches with Real Madrid by that point.

Even when Bellingham was added back to the roster ahead of England's World Cup qualifier against Serbia on Nov. 13, he came off the bench with Morgan Rogers getting the start.

Tuchel said the day before the game that Bellingham and Rogers were in "friendly competition" for the No. 10 role.

"Rather than finding for the best players a position to just have them on the field, it's maybe better to put everyone in the best position and have a competition. So, at the moment the competition is between the two of them. They're friends, so this can also be a friendly competition. Don't have to be enemies, and you don't have to hate each other. They are respectful, they are friends with each other, and they fight at the moment for the same position. Can they play together? Yes, but in a different structure than maybe, and at the moment is not the moment to change our structure."

It's hard to envision by the time next summer arrives a scenario in which Bellingham isn't on the roster. His physical condition looks to be fine since returning, as he scored in three consecutive matches for Real Madrid from Oct. 22-Nov. 1.

Bellingham's age (22) and track record for being able to put the ball in the net make him a potential difference-maker for England next summer.

Bukayo Saka

Bukayo Saka has already been named England's men's player of the year twice, in back-to-back seasons (2021–22, 2022–23), with the latter win coming after he scored three goals in four appearances during the 2022 World Cup.

The 24-year-old hasn't slowed down since then, establishing himself as the most prolific offensive player for Arsenal with 69 combined goals and assists in 104 matches since the start of the 2022-23 Premier League season.

England's 2-0 win over Serbia in the Nov. 13 qualifier was led by goals from Saka and Phil Foden. His goal came after Tuchel expressed a desire to see the young winger become a more aggressive scorer.

Given how well Saka performed on the World Cup stage in his first appearance three years ago, the stage is set for him to potentially emerge as one of the world's best players next summer.

Harry Kane

This one is cheating because it's not like anyone needs to be told to keep an eye on Harry Kane, but one of the main reasons to be optimistic about England's chances next summer is a loaded group of forwards.

Kane, Saka and Cole Palmer—who returned on Wednesday for Chelsea from a groin injury that has kept him out since September—is a nightmare for opposing defenses to contend with.

The leader of the group is Kane, who has been in peak form throughout the 2025 season. He has scored seven goals in eight matches with England this year.

Kane had just two goals in five matches at the 2022 World Cup, but they came in England's final two matches. His goal on a penalty kick in the quarterfinal briefly tied the match with France at one apiece before Olivier Giroud's goal in the 78th minute put the Blues on top for good.

If England is going to end its 60-year World Cup drought next summer, Kane has to be the main driving force and at least be in the mix, if not outright win, the Golden Boot.