John Terry Tips Max Dowman to Make England’s 2026 World Cup Squad
John Terry has named the players he believes Thomas Tuchel will select in his final 26-man squad for this summer’s 2026 World Cup finals.
England will head to the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada as one of the favourites, despite the fact the 1966 World Cup remains their only major trophy to date.
Tuchel’s side breezed through World Cup qualification, winning all eight of their Group K matches without conceding a single goal. However, England’s final two international friendlies during the current international break suggest there’s plenty of work still to do over the next two months.
England were held to a 1-1 draw by Uruguay last Friday and then slumped to a 1-0 defeat against Japan on Tuesday.
The two games may have already helped Tuchel to decide which England players will be on the plane for the World Cup, and which players will unfortunately miss the cut.
Predicting Thomas Tuchel’s 26-Man England Squad for the 2026 World Cup
Thomas Tuchel’s likely 26-man England squad for the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico
John Terry Makes England World Cup Squad Prediction
Over on TikTok, John Terry – arguably the Premier League’s greatest-ever defender who played 78 times for the Three Lions between 2003-2012 – has attempted to predict which players will be called up for this summer’s tournament.
The Chelsea legend believes Tuchel will make some very surprising calls, most notably handed a call-up for Arsenal’s 16-year-old sensation Max Dowman, who became the Premier League’s youngest-ever goalscorer last month. Let’s take a closer look at Terry’s calls:
|
John Terry’s England Squad Predictions |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
In Squad? Yes/No |
|
Harry Kane |
Yes |
|
Aaron Ramsdale |
Yes |
|
Harry Maguire |
Yes |
|
Danny Welbeck |
Yes |
|
Jarrod Bowen |
No |
|
Noni Madueke |
No |
|
Morgan Gibbs White |
No |
|
Max Dowman |
Yes |
|
Ollie Watkins |
Yes |
|
Rio Ngumoha |
No |
|
Lewis Hall |
Yes |
|
Trevoh Chalobah |
Yes |
|
Luke Shaw |
Yes |
|
Djed Spence |
No |
|
Fikayo Tomori |
Yes |
|
Elliot Anderson |
No |
|
Trent Alexander-Arnold |
Yes |
|
James Trafford |
Yes |
|
Kobbie Mainoo |
Yes |
|
Tino Livramento |
No |
|
Phil Foden |
Yes |
|
Eberechi Eze |
Yes |
|
Marcus Rashford |
Yes |
On those on the cusp of making England’s World Cup squad, Terry believes Harry Maguire, Aaron Ramsdale, Danny Welbeck, Luke Shaw, Fikayo Tomori, Trent Alexander-Arnold, James Trafford, Kobbie Mainoo, Phil Foden and Eberechi Eze will all make the final 26-man squad.
However, he holds less hope for the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Noni Madueke, Morgan Gibbs White, Rio Ngumoha, Djed Spence and, perhaps most surprisingly, Elliot Anderson.
Many England fans and pundits alike believe Anderson is a dead-cert to make Tuchel’s England squad after a strong of impressive performances since making his senior international debut last year. The Nottingham Forest star, 23, is likely to be a player in high demand this summer, regardless of whether or not he goes to the World Cup.
It would also be a big surprise if Trent Alexander-Arnold makes Tuchel’s squad from this point. However, the right-back has the opportunity to win major honours with Real Madrid, which may help him to force his way in at the eleventh hour.
England begin their 2026 World Cup campaign against Croatia on June 17. They then face a tricky test against Ghana, who sacked their manager this week, six days later. Tuchel’s men end their Group L campaign with a game against minnows Panama on June 27.
