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England’s Starting 11 For Euro 2028 Was Predicted in 2023

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Back in 2023, The Athletic’s writers were tasked with predicting England’s starting XI for a home European Championship five years down the line.

One selection leaned heavily on a side built around a young Jude Bellingham before working outwards. The picks blended established names with a handful of eyebrow-raising calls, mixing Premier League regulars with players who, at the time, had barely made a senior breakthrough.

Here’s a look back at exactly who was backed to lead England out at Euro 2028.

Goalkeeper and Defence

Aaron Ramsdale; Tino Livramento, John Stones, Levi Colwill, Calum Scanlon

Tino Livramento during a training session with England

In goal, Carl Anka predicted Aaron Ramsdale would no longer be at Arsenal by 2028, but felt he’d have developed into England’s number one regardless of his club situation. At full-back, Anka went with Tino Livramento to eventually win what he dubbed England’s “right-back war,” seeing him learn from Kieran Trippier and overtake Max Aarons, while questioning whether Trent Alexander-Arnold’s role would ever be settled, much like it is now.


England Rich List: Net Worth of Every Player in Squad


England Rich List: Net Worth of Every Player in 26-Man World Cup 2026 Squad

How rich every player in England’s current squad is based on their net worth

With injury concerns already surrounding Reece James and Ben Chilwell, he handed then-18-year-old Calum Scanlon the start at left-back. The Liverpool defender has currently played just 12 professional matches at 21 years old as it stands. John Stones, who is very much an England regular at present, got the nod alongside Chelsea’s Levi Colwill, who has been in and around the Three Lions setup as he’s dealt with a wave of injuries.

Midfield

Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Curtis Jones

Jude Bellingham for England at the 2026 World Cup Peter Cziborra via Reuters

Anka’s midfield isn’t far off what it currently looks like, pairing current England regulars Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice, with the latter tipped to inherit the captaincy from Harry Kane in the years that followed. He predicted a tight battle for the final midfield berth between the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Harvey Elliott and Jacob Ramsey, ultimately handing the role to Curtis Jones for his composure on the ball at Liverpool, with Angel Gomes pencilled in as a smart option off the bench.

Current England starter, Elliot Anderson, wasn’t a thought at the time. That’s likely due to him only just getting a handful of appearances in the Premier League in 2023, before his move to Nottingham Forest the following year.

Forwards

Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah

Eddie Nketiah Crystal Palace Shelbourne

Perhaps the boldest call came in attack, where he backed Eddie Nketiah to eventually succeed Kane as England’s central striker, pointing to the forward’s decision to knock back Ghana call-ups in the hope of representing his country of birth instead. It’s hardly been the career Nketiah would have hoped for since leaving Arsenal. The striker has scored just eight goals in 58 matches since leaving Arsenal in 2024, with most appearances coming from the bench for Crystal Palace. He did make one appearance for the Three Lions in October 2023, but hasn’t been involved since.


24 Players Born in England But Represent Other 2026 World Cup TeamsMixCollage-03-Jun-2026-11-31-AM-132


The 24 Players Born in England But Represent Other 2026 World Cup National Teams

England would have an unstoppable starting line-up if these players had chosen to represent the Three Lions

He would start with current England wingers Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka either side of him. Alongside Marcus Rashford, both have been consistent choices on the left and right flank. At the age of 24, Saka already has over 50 international caps, and Gordon, who has just sealed a big-money move to Barcelona, had his best performance in an England shirt at the 2026 World Cup, grabbing two assists against DR Congo in 25 minutes, to save England from an embarrassing defeat in the round of 32.

Manager and Coaches

Graham Potter, James Milner, Adam Lallana

West Ham United head coach Graham Potter on the touchline

Rounding things off, it was suggested Graham Potter, the former West Ham manager and current Sweden manager, would be in the England hotseat, working alongside recent retirees James Milner and Adam Lallana as his assistants. England’s current manager, Thomas Tuchel, would have been nowhere near anyone’s thoughts in 2023. The German was a surprise appointment in 2025 as it was, and was the Bayern Munich manager at the time of the picks being made.

As a whole, it’s a selection that’s somewhat of a mixed bag, with some picks ageing well, while others who are nowhere near the current squad were favoured ahead of today’s more established options.

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Manchester United Eye £50m Chelsea Midfielder Andrey Santos Transfer

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Manchester United are interested in signing one Chelsea star in the summer transfer window.

Signing multiple midfielders has always been United’s biggest priority in the upcoming transfer window.

Unfortunately, they have already missed out on two of their key targets, with Mateus Fernandes joining Tottenham and Elliot Anderson joining Man City.

With Casemiro heading through the exit door and Manuel Ugarte suffering a serious injury, United need to bring in multiple midfielders in the coming weeks.

A deal is in place for United to bring Atalanta midfielder Ederson to the club, but it is yet to be confirmed, with the Brazilian currently competing at the World Cup.

Their search for new midfielders continues, and they’ll be hoping to no longer miss out on key targets.

Man Utd Eyeing Chelsea Star

Michael Carrick via Reuters

According to a report from the Guardian, Manchester United are interested in signing Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos in the summer transfer window, who is valued in the region of £50m.

Santos, described as world-class by former manager Liam Rosenior, is open to leaving Chelsea in the summer in order to get regular minutes.

The Brazilian midfielder is currently behind Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez at Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea need to bring in funds in order to help Xabi Alonso strengthen his squad.

Whether United will be able to offer him guaranteed minutes remains to be seen, but it would certainly be the case at the moment, considering they have missed out on targets.

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Mexico vs England Referee Already Made World Cup Blunder

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England‘s last-16 tie with Mexico at the Azteca Stadium has been handed to Alireza Faghani — a referee who has already drawn heavy criticism at this World Cup for one of the tournament’s most contentious calls.

The 48-year-old Australian official, taking charge of his third World Cup after appearances in 2014 and 2018, steps into a fixture already overshadowed by kick-off time chaos. FIFA briefly proposed moving the game forward six hours before reverting to the original schedule following pushback from the FA over fan travel plans.

However, following the controversy surrounding Ilgiz Tantashev’s refereeing in France’s win over Paraguay, there will be a lot of eyes on Faghani in what are said to be trying conditions amidincredible home support that will meet the English.

Controversy Involving Faghani and Kylian Mbappe

France's Kylian Mbappe remonstrates with referee Alireza Faghani IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Vincent Carchietta

The Kylian Mbappe penalty call that sparked outrage at the time in France’s 3-1 group-stage win over Senegal is certainly a key moment to analyse ahead of the England clash.

Mbappe scored twice on the night but was denied a clear chance at a hat-trick when he went down under a challenge from Sadio Mane inside the box. Faghani waved play on in real time, then reviewed the incident on the pitch-side monitor — and still opted against a penalty, instead awarding Senegal a goal kick.

The decision triggered immediate backlash from current and former officials, with many questioning how a monitor review failed to overturn the call. This is the 48-year-old’s third World Cup after receiving call-ups to the 2014 and 2018 editions.

His reputation is that of an experienced and respected referee, but the moment in the group stages was certainly an error on his part.

Strong Reaction to Baffling Decision

Kylian Mbappe (France) Kyle Ross (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)

Darren Cann, who ran the line in the 2010 World Cup final, said the reaction from within refereeing circles was immediate, with several of the sport’s most respected officials reaching out to say they couldn’t make sense of the no-penalty verdict.

Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara was blunter in his assessment on air, calling it “one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen.” He went on to question how the tournament could let it slide, adding that Faghani simply wasn’t up to the standard required.


Mexico Players (World Cup)


Mexico Release Statement After Players Breach FIFA Rules Before England Game

Mexico release statement after players breach FIFA rules ahead of clash vs England.

With that history now attached to Sunday’s appointment, both England and Mexico will be hoping they’re not left facing a repeat at the Azteca — especially in a game with quarter-final qualification on the line.

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Arsenal In Talks to Sign £246m Duo Morgan Rogers and Bradley Barcola

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Arsenal transfer supremo Andrea Berta has entered talks to sign a £246m duo this summer, according to club insider Hand of Arsenal.

The Gunners are looking to build upon their Premier League title win and Champions League final appearance last season during the summer window, with Mikel Arteta looking to add more firepower to his attack.

But with a bloated squad, the team first had to make some sales, and they kickstarted the process by agreeing a deal to sell Leandro Trossard to Besiktas. Now, sporting director Berta is understood to be making his moves to bring players in.

Arsenal In Talks for £246m ‘Superstar’ Duo

Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers representing England IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Caean Couto

According to the reliable Hand of Arsenal, the Gunners’ decision to sell Belgium international Trossard was the ‘first step’ to get the club’s transfer plans off the ground.

The deal has now opened up a ‘clear spot’ on the left-wing in Arteta’s squad, and it’s understood that Berta has engaged in talks with both Bradley Barcola and Morgan Rogers about bringing them to the Emirates Stadium.

The deals are being worked on simultaneously by the Spaniard, and while there have been no official club-to-club talks between Arsenal and PSG or Aston Villa, it’s understood that both players are ‘very open to the move’ to north London.

Villa have recently slapped a £130m asking price on Rogers, having seen Elliot Anderson sold for £116m by Nottingham Forest, while Paris Saint-Germain have also decided that Barcola’s price would be at a similar level to Anderson’s if he were to leave the Parc des Princes during this transfer window.

It’s highly unlikely that Arsenal would splash the cash to sign both players at those prices, but Berta is pushing both deals along in order to pull the trigger on one further down the line when he gets a deal he wants.

England World Cup Quiz

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Arsenal Ready to Go Big

Bradley Barcola France Action Images

It’s clear that Arsenal want to make a major statement in the transfer window this summer, and both Barcola and Rogers would definitely fit that bill.

The France international, described as a ‘superstar’, has lit up the World Cup this summer and is a more natural winger option that could fit into the squad seamlessly, while Rogers, who has also been described as a ‘superstar’, has struggled for game time with England, but he is a Premier League-proven playmaker who would need less adaptation time.

Both options would be excellent additions to the squad, and Berta knows that, hence working on both deals simultaneously to ensure Arsenal are well positioned and don’t miss out.


Mikel Arteta


Arsenal Agree £17m Deal to Sell ‘Magician’

Arsenal have agreed a deal.

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