England get their 2026 World Cup campaign up and running on Wednesday night, one of the last nations to take to the field for their first game in Mexico, Canada and the United States of America.

It has been a thrilling start to the biggest tournament in history and the Three Lions will look to make their mark after impressive performances on Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning by two of the favourites to win the tournament – France and Argentina.

Now, Thomas Tuchel will be looking on his side to follow suit as they aim to end 60 years of hurt by lifting the trophy for only the second time come July 19.

Four England stars were left at home

Tuchel has already made some bold calls in the build-up to the tournament, leaving some big-name players at home when naming his 26-man squad.

Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Harry Maguire and Trent Alexander-Arnold were all left to watch the tournament at home as the German head coach made some ruthless decisions. And it will be interesting to see what starting lineup he chooses for the Three Lions’ opener against Croatia on Wednesday night, with some key decisions to be made. The biggest talking points would appear to be in the three spots behind captain and striker Harry Kane.

Former England striker Michael Owen has suggested the decisions facing Tuchel are not as thought-provoking as people may think, because he should “play them all” in the three spots behind Kane to help England lift the trophy.

Speaking in his Daily Mail World Cup column, Owen said: “This may sound radical, but here is my plan for England to win the World Cup – change the three attacking players behind Harry Kane at half-time.

“We know conditions are going to be limiting and we have seen that already with the temperatures in North America and Mexico. Thomas Tuchel has also warned about matches being slow and potentially won by his ‘special teams’ from the bench late in the game. I agree with him – this World Cup will be won by attacking players who are fresh.

Owen think Tuchel’s selection dilemma is not an issue

“So why not quicken things up and play to our strengths? There is so much debate as to who should play on the left, who should play in the middle, who should play on the right. It is because we have brilliant options in all of those positions.

“My solution – play them all! If it is Anthony Gordon who starts on the left, tell him: ‘forget about conserving energy, you’ve got 45 minutes, give it everything you’ve got, empty the tank’. Then, at half-time, on comes Marcus Rashford. Make one player from two. This rotation also means they can go again a few days later.

“It can be the same at No 10. Be it Jude Bellingham or Morgan Rogers who starts, send them out with the same message – don’t pace yourself, run yourself into the ground and get us ahead.”

The food and drink prices at this year’s US Open have drawn widespread criticism after they emerged on social media.

Some have even compared the costs to the sky-high charges being levied on fans at the ongoing 2026 football World Cup, which will run alongside the major.

The price of concessions at big sporting events and concerts is frequently discussed in modern times, with the surprisingly cheap fare on offer at The Masters each year being the exception to an increasingly more expensive rule.

Journalist Josh Carpenter posted a series of photos on social media which revealed the prices. The images have been met with cries of “robbery” and “yikes” and “bring back The Masters!”

Food and Drink Prices at the 2026 US Open Golf

Every alcoholic beverage, including beer, will run into double digits (in local currency) at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in New York this week.

The official beer of the Open is Corona Premium, and enjoying one of those will be $12.95 (£9.65), as will the alternatives Modelo and Coors Light.

Don’t fancy a beer? In that case, canned cocktails and canned wine come in at $14.45 (£10.77), and basic cocktails like Jack Daniel’s and a mixer are going to hit the attendees at $15.95 (£11.89) a piece.

Soft drinks are slightly more reasonable, but still pricey compared to their typical cost.

A bottle of water will apparently set you back $6.45 (£4.81), while soft drinks like Sprite and Coca-Cola will cost $3.79 (£2.83) for a single can.

It is the same story with the food being served at the event; snacks like Kind Bars will be $3.69 (£2.75), and if spectators want to indulge in a single pretzel, that will be $7.49 (£5.58). If you were after something a bit more fulfilling than that, a Caesar salad will be $10.95 (£8.16) and adding chicken will be a dollar. A turkey sandwich will be $12.59 (£9.39), and a foot-long hot dog is going to cost almost $20! (£15).

How Do The US Open Food and Drink Prices Compare With The 2026 World Cup?

Luis Cortes via Reuters

These prices are obviously ridiculous, but they do seem very aligned with what is being seen across the USA, Canada and Mexico during the World Cup. Prices for tickets were already something of a concern going into the tournament, with backlash coming from all angles during the build-up.

Photos circulating on X showcase the prices for concessions at multiple host stadiums, such as MetLife; a bottle of water is $5, and a soft drink is $6. Beers are priced at $16, and canned cocktails and seltzers will set back fans $19 (£14.16).

Food is no better with a chicken-tenders and fries combo meal with a Coca-Cola, which is priced at $19. If you visit the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, you can expect to pay $20 (£15) for a match-day pizza or $24 (£18) for a meatball sub!

Considering the prices for tickets are already emptying spectators’ pockets, they will be disappointed looking at the price boards if they fancy some refreshments.

England are one of the best nations in world football right now. Thomas Tuchel has a plethora of world-class players at his disposal, including Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice.

The three aforementioned players chose to represent England over other nations. All three qualified to represent the Republic of Ireland, while Bellingham was also able to play for Kenya.

Rice even represented Ireland at youth level and even made three appearances for their first team before switching allegiances to England.

While the trio chose to play for England, others who were eligible to play for the Three Lions have snubbed them in favour of other countries.

With that in mind, GiveMeSport have named the 15 best footballers in the world right now that could have played for England but chose not to.

15-11

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Kiyoshi Mio

Leeds United captain Ethan Ampadu, who was born in Exeter, was eligible to represent England, Republic of Ireland, Ghana and Wales. He chose the latter.

Folarin Balogun was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Nigerian parents. He spent his entire youth in England as he grew up in London. He represented England at various age groups, but was convinced to change allegiances to the United States in 2023.

Brennan Johnson and Alex Iwobi were both born in England but chose to represent Wales and Nigeria respectively.

Harry Wilson was born in Wrexham, Wales, but qualified for England through an English grandfather. Wales made the decision to tie him down early as he made his debut for the Dragons aged 16, making him the nation’s youngest ever player.

10-6

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/David Butler Ii

Antonee Robinson was born in Milton Keynes and raised in Liverpool, but he chose to play for the United States. He would probably have played for England multiple times in the past few years, given England’s issues at left-back.

Felix Nmecha was born in Germany but moved to England at age six. He played for both Germany and England at youth level but eventually committed to the country of his birth.

Aston Villa defender Matty Cash is of Polish descent through his mother, who was born in the UK to Polish parents. Despite being born in Slough and spending his whole life in England, he decided to represent the White-Reds.

Jeremie Frimpong was born in Amsterdam but moved to England at age seven. He never had any intention of playing for The Three Lions, though.

Ademola Lookman’s story is truly inspirational. Born in Wandsworth, he was playing Sunday League football until the age of 16 when Charlton Athletic spotted him. He has risen through the ranks and, despite playing 11 times for England U21s, switched allegiances to Nigeria in 2022.

5-1

Ints Kalnins Via Reuters

Each of the top five would undoubtedly have been in England’s 26-man squad for the World Cup. You could make a case that all of them would start, too.

Scott McTominay has reached a whole new level after leaving Manchester United for Napoli. He was born in England but qualifies for Scotland through his father, and ultimately decided to represent the latter.

Antoine Semenyo has enjoyed an extraordinary rise in recent years. In 2018, he was playing for National League South outfit Bath City. In 2026, after excelling for Bournemouth, he completed a £64 million to Manchester City. He never represented England at any level before making his Ghana debut in 2022, while he was playing Championship football with Bristol City.

Jamal Musiala was born in Stuttgart, Germany, before moving to England at the age of seven. Learning his trade at Chelsea, he represented England at multiple levels up until the U21s. However, he moved back to Germany in 2019 as he joined Bayern Munich and ultimately decided to represent the country of his birth.

Michael Olise is arguably the world’s best winger. He enjoyed an incredible debut season at Bayern Munich in 2025/26 as he recorded 53 goal contributions (22 goals and 31 assists) in just 52 matches. He was eligible to represent France, Algeria, England or Nigeria at international level. Despite being born in England and spending his whole childhood in the country, he elected to play for Les Bleus.

The best player right now that could have represented England – but chose not to – is Erling Haaland. The lethal striker was born in England while his father, Alfie, was playing for Leeds. He moved back to Norway at age 3 and ultimately decided to represent The Vikings.