FIFA World Cup 2026 news: What England’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay told us about potential call-ups
England drew 1-1 with Uruguay at Wembley Stadium on Friday night, with the hosts fielding a heavily rotated team in London.
Players such as Dominic Solanke, Fikayo Tomori, Noni Madueke, and Djed Spence featured for Thomas Tuchel’s side but are unlikely to start for England this summer and could be in danger of missing out altogether.
However, the likes of Phil Foden, Marcus Rashford, and Tino Livramento also appeared and have a big chance of going to the World Cup, with all three coming off the back of strong seasons for their respective clubs.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Elliot Ward takes a closer look at which players have a realistic chance of securing their place on the plane to America.
Lack of standout performances
With few nailed-on starters playing on Friday night, there was an opportunity for certain players to impress Tuchel and perhaps earn a place in his squad for the World Cup.
Unfortunately, there weren’t many standout performances in this regard.
James Garner did at least manage an impressive debut in the midfield and could have done enough to get on the plane.
Also, it was another solid display by Harry Maguire in an England shirt, and he would definitely be a good pick – not only because of his quality as a defender, but also his leadership, which could be instrumental to England’s success this summer.
Bench cameos offer positivity
We saw cameos from Cole Palmer, Lewis Hall, Adam Wharton, and Jarrod Bowen off the England bench, all of whom should be off to the States.
Palmer and Hall could even be starters for England in a few months.
Kobbie Mainoo was another substitute at Wembley but will probably struggle to get into the squad due to the quality in his position – including Wharton, Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice, and potentially Jordan Henderson.
READ MORE: Premier League news: Analysing the relegation battle and predicting who will go down
Fringe players fail audition
Dominic Calvert-Lewin made an appearance, but after a few missed opportunities, he likely won’t be there in the summer.
Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney remain above the Leeds United striker in the pecking order.
Ben White and Harvey Barnes came off the bench too, but neither is expected to make the cut, with there stronger options in their positions.
Rashford and Anthony Gordon should beat out Harvey Barnes.
Maguire, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, and John Stones are all better players than White and deserve to go ahead of him.
Ultimately, 70 per cent of the players who featured on Friday night will probably not make it onto the plane for the World Cup in the USA.
However, a few positive performances at Wembley definitely gave Tuchel something to think about.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: League One news: Analysing the play-off battle and predicting who will finish inside the top six
