Things are looking swell for England. Thomas Tuchel and his entourage will have to wait until December 5 to find out who they will face in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup – but their qualification campaign was pretty faultless, having won all eight of their games. That bodes the question: is it time for the Three Lions to bring the 60-year trophy drought to an end?

England ran the risk of becoming international nearlymen under Gareth Southgate‘s stewardship and losing to Spain in the Euro 2024 final was the straw that broke the camel’s back last summer. The Football Association (FA) scoured the market and came to the conclusion that Tuchel was the man for the job.

Tuchel, becoming the third non-Englishman to occupy the Wembley Stadium dugout, has suffered the solitary loss – a 3-1 friendly defeat to Senegal in June – since his appointment. But can he be the man to emulate Sir Alf Ramsay’s managerial exploits from 60 years ago? Time will tell.

Alan Shearer, formerly England’s chief talisman throughout the nineties, scored 30 strikes in 63 outings for the Three Lions and, as a result, featured in many a international tournament. Now acting as a pundit, the former Newcastle United goal-getter has predicted who will be in Tuchel’s starting XI come next summer.

GK: Jordan Pickford

Shearer ignored the skeptics. There’s a sort of rhetoric claiming that Jordan Pickford should lose his spot to one of Dean Henderson or Nick Pope – but there is very little evidence to suggest that it would be the right move. Pickford, 31, is fresh off the back of breaking Gordon Banks’ record for consecutive clean sheets.

In 81 outings for his nation, Pickford has (barely) put a glove wrong. He’s remained composed under the pressure of playing in a number of major tournaments, is a regular at club level and has shown – time and time again – that he is befitting of being entrusted between the sticks.

RB: Reece James

Although many would agree that Tuchel must find a way to get Trent Alexander-Arnold on the plane as he offers a unique profile, Shearer has stuck to his guns and opted for Chelsea skipper Reece James – a player etched in Stamford Bridge mythology – to occupy his right-back spot. Djed Spence, too, should miss out in the eyes of the Premier League’s all-time top goalscorer.

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James, widely regarded as one of the best defenders in world football, also has a brilliant relationship with Tuchel from their time together on west London. Right-back is, perhaps, the position where England are best-stocked, but the 25-year-old has put together a compelling case to be the outright starter – and that notion has even survived extended periods of him being injured.

CB: John Stones

As has been the case since England’s World Cup qualification in 2016, John Stones has been a mainstay in the heart of defence – and he’s lined up alongside many partners. That includes Harry Maguire, who faces a race to be on the plane between now and next summer. Stones, however, is a genius of a centre-half and possesses plenty of international expertise.

Albeit admired by Tuchel, what could turn into an issue is Stones’ relative lack of gametime at club level. No longer the pivotal figure at the back for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, having the Barnsley-born defender marshal the back line could be a risk – but it’s one that Shearer would be willing to take. But, more importantly, will Tuchel?

CB: Marc Guehi

England’s most consistent performer over the course of Euro 2024, Marc Guehi has come on leaps and bounds in recent years – and that includes how influential he has become among his compatriots. Despite being 25 years of age, the Crystal Palace man carries a sense of leadership, and that will rub off on his fellow countrymen when push comes to shove.

An intelligent defender, too, Guehi is approaching the apex of his powers and, by the time next summer comes around, there is every chance that he’ll be performing to the best of his ability. In fact, there’s a strong argument that 2000-born Guehi is one of the first names on the team sheet.

LB: Lewis Hall

Given that Shearer spent the majority of his career finding the back of the net for fun at St James’ Park, there was always going to be at least one Newcastle United representative. Step forward, 21-year-old Lewis Hall. The youngster – who rose through Chelsea’s academy ranks before moving up north in 2024 – has just the two senior England caps under his belt.

He earned his stripes in November 2024 when Lee Carsley was in interim charge, but he’s yet to feature under the guidance of Tuchel as the German’s prefernece for other options has become apparent. Whether that could prevent Shearer’s left-back prediction from ringing true remains to be seen.

CM: Declan Rice

You can predict with conviction that Declan Rice – a clever central midfielder who made his England debut in 2019 – will be manning engine room for his country next summer. It’s a formality at this point. A box-to-box presence, Rice is equally adept at defending as he is getting forward to make a difference.

There will be very few players on the pitch as influential as the former West Ham United captain as England look to reign supreme in North America next summer, and that’s largely thanks to him adding set-piece prowess to his never-ending bag of tricks. Shearer, as expected, has hit the nail on the head here.

CM: Elliot Anderson

So, Rice is in. Who partners him? Shearer, with the option of Adam Wharton also available to him, went for former Newcastle midfielder Elliot Anderson – who is now on the books of Nottingham Forest after being offloaded by the Magpies to help with their PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules). It’ll be a decision they rue given how well Anderson, 23, has adapted to playing regular football at the City Ground.

Anderson, who has played six times for England since making his debut in September, has all the hallmarks of a future superstar and what better time to put him to the test? He’s risen up the England ladder at a remarkable rate, proved to be the perfect partner for Rice and is, potentially, the next £100 million midfielder in the Premier League.

CAM: Jude Bellingham

England may have not conceded throughout the entirety of their qualification campaign – but Jude Bellingham‘s situation has dominated the discourse. Many believe Morgan Rogers is ahead of the Birmingham-born difference-maker in the pecking order, but Shearer has chosen to ignore any outside noise. And rightfully so!

In goes Bellingham in his favoured position: the No.10 role. Still young, the Englishman’s rise to worldwide prominence has been nothing short of outstanding – and that was put into perspective when Real Madrid won the race for his signature in 2023 and parted ways with £88.5 million for his signature. For England, it’s difficult to pinpoint a player who carries the inevitability factor as much as the 22-year-old.

RW: Bukayo Saka

Among the five players to have guaranteed themselves a spot on the plane, Bukayo Saka remains the man on the right for Tuchel – and rightfully so. Shearer believes he has the ability to keep Jarrod Bowen and Noni Madueke out of contention and the striker-turned-pundit is, effectively, correct. With Saka firing on all cylinders, England have a great chance at success.

Only injury has prevented the right-winger from featuring more under the new Wembley regime – and an injury-free campaign for Arsenal, who will be gunning to win the Premier League, could cement him as England’s choice on the right for the foreseeable. Admittedly, he may not be the quickest player at Tuchel’s disposal, but his creative tendencies make up for that in abundance.

ST: Harry Kane

Need we say anymore? There is only one man that Tuchel and his entourage will rely on to bang in the goals next summer, and that’s Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane. A sharpshooting presence, of course, but his unique passing exploits make him a terror to mark; defenders from all across the globe would struggle to contain the London-born marksman.

And that is exactly why Shearer, who will be glad that Kane departed the Premier League to keep his record intact, has opted for England’s top goalscorer of all time. A terrific communicator by all accounts, too, Kane is equally influential behind the scenes for England – and his spot at the sharp end of the pitch is inevitably safe for the time being.

LW: Marcus Rashford/Anthony Gordon

The beauty of England’s left-wing spot is that Marcus Rashford and Anthony Gordon are available to be picked as Raheem Sterling’s successor. Tuchel has taken a liking to the former, whose Barcelona form has shot him up the pecking order, but the latter is still in with a chance of proving to be efficient on the left for England.

The quality that Gordon brings is that he is a traditional straight-line winger and the Liverpudlian is likely to play with chalk on his boots. His electric pace, combined with his direct goal threat when he shifts onto his right foot, would complement Kane’s style of play. It’s a decent headache to have, and it’s also one that Shearer couldn’t figure out.