Thomas Tuchel is preparing to unveil his England squad as the Three Lions get ready for their World Cup 2026 campaign in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
England head into the tournament as one of the top contenders, with Tuchel determined to end a 60-year drought for a major men’s trophy since their historic 1966 World Cup triumph. The manager will name the 26 players making the trip to the United States next month.
England have been drawn in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama. Their opening fixture will be against Luka Modric’s Croatia on 17 June in Arlington, Texas.
Subsequent group-stage matches will see England face Ghana on 23 June in Boston and Panama on 27 June in New York. These games will decide the team’s progress to the last 32 of this expanded 48-team tournament.
Here’s all the information you need about England’s squad announcement as the final countdown to the World Cup continues. You can also follow updates through the World Cup 2026 squad tracker to see every player competing in this summer’s event.
England’s official squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be announced on Friday, 22 May, live from Wembley Stadium in London.
The event will begin at 9:45 a.m. BST, with the complete list of 26 players revealed shortly afterward.
The Independent will stream the announcement live, and fans can also watch the coverage on the official England app.
Former England internationals Daniel Sturridge and Theo Walcott will take part in the broadcast, hosted by presenter Kyle Walker.
Manager Thomas Tuchel will hold a press conference with the media following the announcement, scheduled for around 11 a.m. BST.
After the squad is confirmed, Tuchel and his team will head to Florida in early June for a pre-World Cup training camp. The camp will include two friendly matches — against New Zealand at 9 p.m. BST on Saturday, 6 June, and against Costa Rica at 9 p.m. BST on Wednesday, 10 June.
