England will begin their quest for long-awaited World Cup glory in 83 days’ time, and one big question awaits an answer…
Who should Thomas Tuchel start when they face Croatia on June 17?
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Well, eSPORTY have had a crack at selecting the optimal XI, assuming everyone is available.
Three Lions fans hoping that 2026 is finally the year in which football comes home may get a sneak peak at their team in the coming days.
England will play Uruguay and Japan in two friendlies this month, live on eSPORTY, as they begin their preparations for the World Cup.
Head coach Tuchel has picked a 35-man squad that will be split in two as he looks to ‘get the best out of this camp’.
Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Marc Guehi are among the options in a selection that could indicate their 26-man squad this summer.
Tuchel has plenty of options to choose from, but only 11 players can start against Croatia in their Group L opener.
And some of eSPORTY’s finest have given their two cents on who should walk out for England at the AT&T Stadium.
Sam Matterface
Chief commentator Matterface has backed the ever-present Jordan Pickford to start in goal at a third World Cup for England.
Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi are his go-to centre-back pairing, whilst Reece James and Nico O’Reilly play on the right and left respectively.
Matterface has opted for Elliot Anderson as his sitting midfielder as Bellingham and Declan Rice play slightly ahead of him.
Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon are his wide options, with captain and 2018 Golden Boot winner Kane leading the line once again.
Matterface was torn over the omission of Lewis Hall, who he loves, and added that Tino Livramento would start if James was not fit.
He also conceded that while Morgan Rodgers is unlucky to be left out, Bellingham is impossible to overlook in the big moments.
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Adrian Durham
There is an endless list of potential starting XI’s but our chief football anchor Durham may have come up with a new one.
Pickford, James, Guehi and Konsa are selected once again, but Lewis Hall is his preferred option at left-back over O’Reilly.
Anderson is joined by Rice and Bellingham in a midfield three, but it’s Durham’s attacking selection that will split opinion.
Kane spearheads the frontline and Marcus Rashford plays on the left, while Trent Alexander-Arnold appears on the opposite flank.
Many have debated whether Alexander-Arnold should play at right-back or in midfield, but Thomas Tuchel is currently opting for neither.
The former Liverpool right-back was not selected for the March squad despite a recent run of good form for Real Madrid.
But with questions over the current form of Saka, Durham has made a bold new suggestion ahead the World Cup, calling for Alexander-Arnold to start on the right side of a front three.
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Gabby Agbonlahor
Once again, Pickford and James make it into the starting XI as part of ex-England international Agbonlahor’s line-up.
He also has Hall at left-back, although it’s Harry Maguire who will play next to Konsa at centre-back in place of Guehi.
Rice and Anderson will be paired in midfield, and Bellingham plays in a more attacking role behind Kane for Agbonlahor.
Saka starts on the right, and it’s Morgan Rogers of his beloved Aston Villa who features on the left of the attack.
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Danny Murphy
Fellow ex-England international Danny Murphy opted for a similar team with just two changes.
Rashford gets the nod on the left-wing over Rodgers, while Guehi steps in for Maguire.
It means all four of our pundits are aligned on a midfield three of Bellingham, Rice and Anderson.
Captain Kane’s inclusion is unsurprisingly unanimous, while Pickford, James and Konsa are also ever-present across the four XIs.
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