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There’s a compelling case to be made that England produces more top-tier footballers than any other nation – especially when you consider the outstanding players representing other countries at the 2026 World Cup who were, at one point, eligible to turn out for the Three Lions.

Thomas Tuchel may have overlooked some exceptional talents, but there are numerous international stars who might easily have worn the England shirt.

Here’s a full-strength XI of players competing at the 2026 World Cup who could have played for England, arranged in a balanced 4-4-2 formation.

Let’s start with a technicality.

Scotland’s Angus Gunn could have been England’s goalkeeper, having been born in Norwich and represented England at five youth levels. But to strengthen this lineup further, we’ve gone for a two-time FIFA Best Goalkeeper winner – a player instrumental in guiding Lionel Messi to international success, a master of high-pressure moments and penalty shootouts, who helped Argentina capture two Copa America titles alongside their World Cup triumph.

‘Dibu’ Martinez is as Argentinian as they come, with no English ancestry to trace back. Still, he spent 11 years in England before making his senior international debut. In an alternate timeline, perhaps without Jordan Pickford, the FA might have convinced Martinez to take up English citizenship – much like they once considered doing with Manuel Almunia and Mikel Arteta, and actually did with Australian-born Tony Dorigo.

David Raya could also have been a candidate under similar circumstances, having spent a decade in England before debuting for Spain after his move to Blackburn.

Back in 2020, The Times reported that Aaron Wan-Bissaka was “committed to forcing his way into Gareth Southgate’s England squad” despite interest from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Croydon-born right-back, who has made over 200 Premier League appearances for Crystal Palace, Manchester United and West Ham, represented England at Under-20 and Under-21 level. He received a senior call-up from Southgate in August 2019 but never made his debut. During that period, England were stacked with quality right-backs – Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James all ahead of him in the pecking order.

Eventually, Wan-Bissaka chose to represent his ancestral nation and played a key role in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s qualification for their first World Cup since 1974, earning nine caps along the way.

His former Manchester United teammate Axel Tuanzebe followed a similar path. Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tuanzebe moved to England as a child and joined Manchester United’s academy at eight years old. He represented England at three youth levels before switching allegiance to DR Congo in 2023, where he played a decisive role in their World Cup qualification, scoring the winner in the playoff against Jamaica.

Jacob Jones might not be a household name, but Championship fans know him as a solid defender. Born in Bristol and trained at Southampton’s academy, he went on to make nearly 200 appearances for Hull City before joining Middlesbrough. Shortly after, Canada’s coach Jesse Marsch convinced him to represent the Canadian national team, qualifying through a grandmother from Alberta. Despite missing part of the season due to injury, Jones recovered just in time to make Canada’s 26-man World Cup squad.

Antonee ‘Jedi’ Robinson was born in Milton Keynes and raised in Liverpool, coming through Everton’s youth academy. His father, Marlon, is English-born but became a naturalised US citizen after playing college football at Duke University. The United States spotted Robinson’s talent early and capped him at Under-18 level in 2014. Since then, he’s earned over 50 senior caps and is a key part of the US men’s team setup.

Among this impressive XI, only a few could genuinely challenge for a spot in Tuchel’s preferred England lineup. Michael Olise, however, is one of them – a genuine Ballon d’Or contender and a key attacking partner of England captain Harry Kane at club level.

Born and raised in London, Olise trained in Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City’s academies before breaking through at Reading. “I actually come from four countries: France, Algeria, Nigeria and England,” he explained once. “I consider myself very lucky to possess these four parts, which all enrich me. I feel each individual part in me, I’ve developed attachments in all my countries.”

Although he doesn’t speak French, Olise represented France at youth levels and made a smooth transition to the senior setup. “I have always had a connection with the France national team, that is why I play for France,” he said calmly when asked about his decision.

Scotland owe Sir Alex Ferguson for persuading Lancaster-born Scott McTominay to represent the Tartan Army instead of England. “When I was in the development centres around The Cliff, Alex was there and he spoke to my dad,” McTominay told The Herald. “After the memorial service for the Munich Disaster earlier this year he pulled me aside and told me: ‘Make sure you do play for Scotland.’”

“I also spoke to my manager at Manchester United. He told me to do whatever I needed to. His advice was to weigh up both sides and then go with whatever is in your heart. I had already made the decision so it was reasonably simple.”

Germany’s Jamal Musiala, the Bayern Munich sensation, represented both England and Germany at youth level – mostly England – before declaring for Germany in 2021. Having grown up in both countries and developed his skills at Southampton and Chelsea before joining Bayern in 2019, Musiala has since scored nine goals in 42 matches for Die Mannschaft. His choice spared England a selection headache, as he would otherwise have rivalled his close friend Jude Bellingham for a starting midfield spot. “Jude and I got on really well immediately,” Musiala told FourFourTwo. “We had loads of laughs together on the England trips. We loved playing table tennis, and watching TV shows and movies together. We were just two lads, dreaming of becoming footballers.”

Antoine Semenyo, born in Chelsea, had trials with Arsenal, Tottenham and Crystal Palace that didn’t pan out. Starting at non-league Highworth Town, he climbed the ladder via Bristol City, with loan stints at Bath City and Newport County. Despite his progress, England never came calling. His father’s time in the Ghana Premier League opened the door for the Black Stars, who capped him in 2022 while he was still at Bristol City. Since then, Semenyo has played over 30 times for Ghana and is expected to be a crucial player at this World Cup.

Folarin Balogun, the only outfield player in this XI not born in England, moved from New York to London when he was a month old. Raised in the capital, he joined Arsenal’s Hale End academy and eventually made a few senior appearances for Mikel Arteta’s team. Having represented both England and the USA at youth levels, he chose to play for the United States at senior level. It has turned out to be a smart choice – he’s scored nine goals in 27 appearances so far.

Finally, Erling Haaland – born in Leeds General Infirmary just weeks after his father Alfie left Leeds United for Manchester City. Representing England was never a realistic option, as Gareth Southgate explained in 2020: “Obviously at the younger age groups at that time, that wouldn’t have been on my radar, because when he broke into first-team football he was pretty much already in the Norwegian youth system. We recruit early, but we wouldn’t have been into him when he was still in Yorkshire, that’s for sure. We’re always trying to monitor those cases, but I think in that instance he was tied up pretty early by Norway and I think also, with players like him, they’re quite clear where they want to play as well. He feels that allegiance to the country that he’s playing for now and you’re always very respectful of that.”