England have qualified for the World Cup 2026 with consummate ease. Thomas Tuchel must be quite optimistic about the England World Cup chances in 2026, given that his team has disposed of their opponents in the qualifying group easily. The Three Lions have been grouped with Croatia, Ghana and Panama at the 2026 World Cup.
However, the German manager will still have to make some tough decisions, given that the English have a few high-profile players in their squad. Tuchel will have to make the adjustments accordingly, especially in the big matches at the 2026 World Cup.
England World Cup 2026 Formation: Will It Change?
England have been primarily playing with a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 formation under Tuchel. However, what stands out in the Three Lions’ collection of players, however, is the abundance of potential No.10s. Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Morgan Rogers can all play as the No.10.
However, playing with a 4-2-3-1 will mean that England will be able to accommodate only one of them in the playing XI. It will be a pity if Foden or Palmer is forced to spend time on the bench.
Hence, one England World Cup option for Tuchel is to go with two players behind the striker, Harry Kane. That will force him to switch to a 3-4-2-1 formation. If, for example, Tuchel plays Foden and Palmer behind Kane and uses Bellingham in the double-pivot alongside Declan Rice, it will give him an opportunity to play all three of his creative midfielders.
Foden has been in exceptional form for Manchester City this season, and Palmer is one of the most talented England have at the moment. Hence, dropping either of them will be something that Tuchel will want to avoid.
England have suffered from this problem of plenty in the past, when they had Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in the midfield. Scholes was forced to play as the defensive midfielder and Gerrard on the left, the result of which was not very desirable.
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The disadvantages of playing with a 3-4-2-1
However, playing with a 3-4-2-1 comes with its share of disadvantages. Firstly, it curbs the attacking freedom of both Rice and Bellingham. Both of those players like to enjoy a chance to launch attacks into the opposition.
Moreover, switching to a back-three will mean that England will have to field another centre-back alongside their dependable duo of Marc Guehi and John Stones. Ezri Konsa could be the third centre-back for them. England have a couple of fine players in Reece James and Nico O’Reilly, who can play as the wing-backs in this formation.
The Three Lions played with a back-three temporarily at Euro 2024 as well, which forced Bukayo Saka to play as the left wing-back, while Foden played on the right flank. The same pattern might be repeated in the England World Cup 2026 tactics in United States, Canada and Mexico.
Now, dropping a player as talented as Elliot Anderson is not going to be easy either. Playing Rice and Bellingham in the double-pivot will mean dropping Anderson from the playing XI. Tuchel can resort to the “horses for courses” policy and alter his formation and personnel according to the quality of his opponents.
Playing with a 3-4-2-1 with two No.10s behind the striker might prove to be more beneficial against slightly weaker teams, as the English will have to go for an outright victory.
However, against stronger oppositions, playing Anderson as the No.6 in a 4-3-3 or Anderson and Rice in the double-pivot might be a more pragmatic approach. It remains to be seen how Tuchel handles this England World Cup challenge come 2026.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / MIS
Recording Date: 26.11.2025
