World Cup
Can England overcome their sunburns (and the opposition) to win the World Cup for the first time since 1966?
England’s Harry Kane, center, and Jordan Henderson, left, jog with teammates during a practice in Florida. AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell
June 12, 2026 | 8:53 AM
3 minutes to read
After 250 years, English eyes will once again turn to Massachusetts. Granted, things will be slightly more peaceable this time (aside from perhaps the commute to the stadium), but England’s decades-long journey to reclaim the World Cup trophy will wind its way through Foxborough on June 23.
This is an England team designed for a deep run in the knockout round. After not qualifying for USA ’94, the English will be back in force this summer. Led by forward Harry Kane, they will try to go a little farther than in previous tournaments (having reached the semifinal in 2018 and the quarters four years ago).
Before things get going, here’s a quick guide for one of the teams coming to the Boston area for the 2026 World Cup:
Three quick things to know
- England enters this World Cup with talent, organization, and…dare we say, team harmony? One of the driving forces behind this has been head coach Thomas Tuchel, appointed in 2025 after Gareth Southgate stepped down following an eight-year tenure. Tuchel has won trophies at every stop of his club level career, and has his sights set on a World Cup. The only psychological problem for England is that Tuchel is German. While this should not matter in 2026 (and, to be clear, does not matter within the squad), it has created a strange dynamic at times. Longtime English manager and pundit Harry Redknapp even accused Tuchel of being a “German spy” (though he later insisted it was a joke). What could go wrong?
- One of the striking pre-tournament stories around England was Tuchel’s squad selection. Higher-profile players like Manchester City’s Phil Foden and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer were left at home while a few surprising choices (hello Ivan Toney) were included. Tuchel has said that each player has a specific role, and understands the overall plan. Time will tell, but an interesting dynamic with the England roster is that, with a few notable exceptions like Kane (32 years old), much of the team — especially the starters — are 25 or younger.
- Can England finally do it? The inventors of the modern version of soccer (and yes, they even coined the term soccer despite the ongoing banter) have not won the World Cup since hosting it in 1966. This has long since become the dominant subplot for the English national team. It’s a weight that generations of England players have carried, and the unfortunate through-line over the years has been coming up short in major tournaments (the exception being the women’s team at the 2022 Euros).
What’s the group stage schedule?
- June 17: England vs. Croatia at 4 p.m. (Dallas Stadium)
- June 23: England vs. Ghana at 4 p.m. (Boston Stadium)
- June 27: Panama vs. England at 5 p.m. (New York New Jersey Stadium)
Standout quote: Asked how he knows he’s acclimatized to summertime conditions in the U.S., England midfielder Declan Rice joked that it was “when the sunburn went.”
Player to know: Jude Bellingham. This is a potentially risky pick, as Bellingham has has hardly been a staple of the England lineup under Tuchel. The 22-year-old Real Madrid midfielder is dynamic and versatile (capable of playing as a false nine in a more forward position), but has yet to fully mesh with the England attack in a major tournament. Could that change in 2026? Bellingham is one of the X-factors who could conceivably tilt the whole World Cup if he finds his form.
How they might line up: Tuchel has a few obvious starters to automatically pick (Kane along with Arsenal players Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice, among others), but has a few lingering questions. As already noted, will he choose Bellingham? And are the center-backs set in stone (pun intended)?
Expert prediction: “I just don’t ever believe they’ll win it,” admitted Max Rushen, host of the Guardian’s “Football Weekly” podcast in a recent episode. Still, Rushden — who like many English fans has had to watch numerous World Cup failures — agreed with the assessment of other panelists. “There is balance to this squad. There is a sense of purpose.”
Fun version of their anthem: This brilliant, self-deprecating banger might not be the actual anthem, but for England fans at a World Cup, it counts just the same.
Hayden Bird
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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