UPDATED: Our Projected England 26-Man Squad

Jarrell Quansah and Ivan Toney are the surprise inclusions expected tomorrow, when Tuchel announces his squad to the world on Friday.

As the 2026 World Cup approaches, Thomas Tuchel’s squad selection process is well under way and this is where you can find what we at The Sixty Six believe is his most likely 26-man squad for the summer.

With form, fitness and availability shifting throughout the run-in, we track who has strengthened their claim, who is under pressure and who may yet force their way into Tuchel’s plans.

Updated after each round of international, domestic and European fixtures, the Squad Tracker is your way to follow what promises to be a fascinating selection process.

Each of the 48 nations heading to the US, Canada and Mexico must first submit a provisional 35 to 55‑man long list in the weeks before the tournament, including at least four goalkeepers. This is the pool from which the final squad will be drawn.

England have already submitted their 55‑man list. From that group, Tuchel must select his final 26‑man squad and whilst they have until 30 May to finalise their squad, The FA have said the announcement will be made this Friday (22 May).

On matchdays, only 23 of the 26 can be selected, meaning three will miss out. That balance will influence Tuchel's squad composition. The importance of good trainers can't be ignored, as that 26-man group, potentially with an additional training goalkeeper, will give the England coach the ideal number for daily sessions.

Replacements are tightly controlled. Outfield players can be replaced up to 24 hours before England’s first match, but only if a serious injury is confirmed by FIFA’s medical team. Goalkeepers are treated differently; they can be replaced at any point during the tournament if an injury is verified.

With Pickford locked as Tuchel's number one and Henderson his most immediate challenger, the third spot now looks increasingly like Trafford. Brighton & Hove Albion's Jason Steele also comes into the equation. Tuchel has already said he is set to go as a fourth goalkeeper for training and ready to step into the squad in the event of injury.

Harry Maguire drops out of our latest projected 26 - a call that would come as a major disappointment to many England and Manchester United fans given his long-standing service and reliability for his country. Levi Colwill, Luke Shaw and Trent Alexander-Arnold are the other high-profile absentees.

Shock omissions are expected with Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White all missing out, the latter can be considered unfortunate not to have been selected; but Foden and Palmer's club form has been indifferent at best, and those England fans calling on Tuchel to pick in-form players have got their wish, with the likes of Mainoo and .

England’s attacking options still give Tuchel plenty to work with, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Dominic Solanke did little to enhance their chances, but Danny Welbeck, as the Englishman with the most goals in the Premier League, can consider himself a little unfortunate not to be in the mix.