Tuchel to name first England squad since World Cup as Nations League begins
Sixty-five days after England's semi-final defeat by Argentina at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Thomas Tuchel will name his first England squad on Friday ahead of an extended international break. The provisional list and final selections will shape four matches scheduled across an 11-day period in the forthcoming Nations League window.
England left the tournament with a 6-4 victory over France in the bronze-medal match but also with a series of unresolved questions about personnel and approach. Fans will watch these September fixtures for clues about Tuchel's preferred XI and tactical direction, and whether players such as Trent Alexander-Arnold could be recalled or newcomers like Alex Scott might be handed debuts. BBC Sport senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel, journalist Jess Anderson and BBC Radio 5 Live's John Murray have outlined the primary issues Tuchel faces ahead of the squad announcement.
Tuchel's extended provisional list includes young names such as Rio Ngumoha and Lewis Hall, though their inclusion in the final squad is not guaranteed; Ngumoha was part of the pre-World Cup camp in Palm Beach and made his England debut in the warm-up game against New Zealand, impressing in a second-half cameo. The 18-year-old has not yet been selected in a full senior England squad but is in contention for the forthcoming fixtures against Spain, the Czech Republic and Croatia. The manager must submit a preliminary squad from which he will choose his final party, and it is understood Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly and Everton's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are also on the extended list. Attacking players Cole Palmer and Phil Foden appear in the provisional group after being notable omissions from Tuchel's World Cup squad, while Jordan Henderson, Dean Henderson and John Stones are expected to be left out because of injury.
The forward options remain a central talking point: Harry Kane started all seven matches to the semi-final in Atlanta and was substituted only twice, both times late with the result already settled, and he was rested for the bronze-medal match when Ivan Toney was preferred despite Toney not scoring in the 6-4 win over France. Toney will not be available for this international break after being charged with assault causing actual bodily harm and is due to appear in court later this month. Ollie Watkins' move to Saudi Arabia has cast doubt over his England future, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has four goals in four games for Leeds United, and Liam Delap—who has yet to make a senior England appearance—scored his first goal for Nottingham Forest in last weekend's win at Aston Villa.
Tuchel and the playing group have acknowledged being too passive in the semi-final, and at the squad announcement attention will focus on what conclusions the manager has drawn about surrendering the initiative after taking a 1-0 lead. Cole Palmer is cited as first in line for a recall after regaining form following the form dip that contributed to his World Cup omission, and supporters will want to see Palmer and similar attacking players take the initiative against Spain at Wembley in a way England lacked late in the Argentina match.
Those opening Nations League fixtures will pit England against the new world champions and are seen as a sterner test than many of last autumn's qualifiers, where England produced some of their best football under Tuchel. The matches are framed as useful preparation for the next Euros in 2028, when, assuming they qualify, England would face comparable opponents at Wembley, and the tournament itself offers an immediate opportunity to win a trophy following the World Cup third-place finish.
The Football Association is completing a formal review of England's World Cup campaign after a tournament the FA regards as a success, with key figures viewing it as the country's best finish since 1966 and the organisation having backed Tuchel ahead of the Euro 2028 qualifying campaign. Tuchel and members of his backroom staff contributed to the assessment at St George's Park in late August, and players' opinions are being gathered before a report is presented to senior FA bosses. The review will examine, among other topics, the impact of the team's permanent Kansas City base during the tournament—where they returned after every game—and the effects of that travel; the FA has said the content of the review will not be made public.
Tuchel must submit his preliminary squad before finalising selections on Friday, and his confirmed squad will determine the personnel available for the Nations League fixtures against Spain, the Czech Republic and Croatia during the extended international break that features four matches in 11 days.