England have revealed their hand for the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, naming an XI that leans heavily on familiar faces while slotting in a couple of names that would have raised eyebrows even 18 months ago.
The lineup for the Croatia clash features a 4-2-3-1 shape built around a spine of Jordan Pickford, John Stones, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, and Harry Kane.
The lineup, broken down
Here’s the full starting XI: Pickford in goal. A back four of Reece James, John Stones, Marc Guehi, and O’Reilly. A double pivot of Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice. Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, and Marcus Rashford across the attacking midfield trident. Harry Kane alone up top.
The attacking trident and Kane
