They have only won one World Cup, on home soil, 60 years ago. But in America they show up with a killer group
It’s coming home, they sing in England. Football comes home. This time they really hope for it, the fans of the Three Lions who have not won any major tournaments for 60 years, since the World Cup won at home in 1966. They hope for it because Kane has scored 61 goals this year with Bayern plus another 6 with England. They hope so because His Majesty’s national team has rarely had more talent than the one put together for this 2026 tournament by Thomas Tuchel: Foden, Palmer and Maguire, to name the three most excellent exclusionsthey would be the star in the vast majority of the other 47 national teams at the World Cup. The English fans believe it because winning is the last thing missing from this group that reached the final of the last two European Championships, losing in 2021 to Italy and 3 years ago to Spain. They believe in it so much that any outcome other than a return home with the cup on July 20 would be considered a failure. “We start with a lot of expectations, we don’t hide – said Kane – I feel better than ever, so I can’t wait to leave”. The group L with Croatia (first rival on the 17th), Ghana and Panama it’s not scary.
To all Kane
—
The captain is the undisputed star of this team. On July 28th he will turn 33 and the dream is that the best gift is given in advance, 9 days before, by lifting the World Cup. Doing so would make him a phenomenon, perhaps even a Golden Ball given the glut of goals he produced for Bayern. In Germany Kane has grown, he has become even more lethal and more aware of his own value than when he accumulated goals but not trophies with Tottenham. The group isn’t scary, losing the captain for any reason definitely is. Because England risks being too Kane-dependent. The numbers actually say that it already is: in the Tuchel era 35.7% of goals came from the center forward (10 out of 28)a percentage that rises to 45% considering only official matches. Kane is the highest scorer in England’s history with 79 centres (Rooney, the 2nd, has been behind for some time with 53) and in the national team he always brings out something special, but in a big tournament you also need alternatives and Kane, at the moment, is the only attacking player that Tuchel is sure of. There is no shortage of talent, but Saka right had an injury-plagued season with Arsenal. On the left, Barcelona’s new signing Gordon he is in his first World Cup and will have to be tested at this level, while Rashford it goes in moments. As Watkins And TonyKane’s reserves as a center forward but not reaching the same level of excellence.
The doubt of 10
—
And then there is the real doubt of the day before, the one that Tuchel must resolve in the last few days in Florida before moving to base camp in Kansas City to prepare for his debut with Croatia: who will be the starting number 10? The candidates are Bellingham (who had that shirt number) e Morgan Rogersand if there is little doubt that the Real star is by far the most talented, it is also true that Villa’s emerging talent is coming off an amazing season, with the flagship award of best player in the Europa League, and that in the last few games he has always been a starter. In the last friendly match, the 1-0 against New Zealand decided by Kane, Bellingham (captain in the second half) did better than Rogers (starter, but Tuchel has always preached group and availability and in this the Villa attacking midfielder takes the lead). They could also play together, with Rogers diverted to the left, but one of Tuchel’s basic principles is not to let his players play out of position, so it is likely that in the first match against Croatia there will only be a number 10 on the pitch. “We have 14-15 starters in this group and both Jude and Morgan are among them,” explained the coach, who in training camp is working on competition and creating the group.
Pros and cons
—
For now Tuchel must be included among England’s strengths, even if this is his first World Cup as coach. As it is Ricearrived on Sunday with Saka and Dean Henderson (Arsenal and Palace players had a few extra days of rest after their European finals) and appointed vice-captain. The midfielder returns from one an amazing season with the Gunners is England’s other certainty: he confirmed that he is worth the best in the world in the role, that he is ready for a further leap in quality with this England team. It is a team full of talent, built to be strong even on set pieces, to leave nothing to chance as in the preparation under the sun and humidity of Florida to get used to the climatic conditions in the USA. Defense is the weak linka deputy Kane is missing and many in attack have something to prove, but England are no longer hiding: they came to the USA to win and have every intention of seeing it happen. This time the pressure that was a problem at the Euro 2 years ago is a traveling companion. Like the heat, the dreams and that incessant chorus of the English fans. It’s coming home!
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED