England boss Thomas Tuchel is set to announce the Three Lions' final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and nerves are on edge, especially for the #10 position, where options are stacked but only a few will be selected.

Hearts will be broken on Friday when Thomas Tuchel names England's final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as only 26 players will be included at maximum, for a country stacked with so much talent.

In this article, we'll be discussing the attacking midfield aspect, with superstars like Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Morgan Gibbs-White, Phil Foden, Eberechi Eze, and others remaining hopeful of getting called up, although it is clear not all will make the cut.

The German tactician will be left with tough decisions to make, especially as the contrasting forms of the players have complicated his choices, leaving whatever decisions he arrives at the mercy of critics.

Even though managers prefer players who have been around the team much longer, Tuchel is rather fresh in the England role too following his appointment in January, meaning all the players opened a fresh page at the same period.

The regular names have been out of form in the soon-to-end season, while the expendables have shown more promise, a narrative well set up to cause headaches for the former Chelsea manager in a nation that lives and breathes football.

But before the list is announced, we take into consideration all the factors that Thomas Tuchel will possibly look at while making his selection to rank the players, and determine who is more likely to be on the plane to North America this summer.

Ranking England's #10s ahead of the World Cup 

A lot of English playmakers have been decisive for their clubs during the season, especially those who play locally and are witnessed by English fans week in and out.

But out of all the names, the focus is only narrowed down to those that have been with the national team recently, and have the prospects of getting called up for the global showpiece.

1. Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid 

Jude Bellingham comes first in the list and rightly so. The Real Madrid midfielder is one of the players who would start in almost any team in the world, although his season has been impacted due to multiple injuries and club struggles.

Nevertheless, when fit and available, the former Borussia Dortmund star isn't just making the squad but would be the first option to start for Thomas Tuchel. Out of all the options available, Bellingham has shown more consistency for the Three Lions.

The 23-year-old has made more starts and played a direct role in more England goals than his counterparts since making his international debut at age 17 against the Republic of Ireland in November 2020.

Bellingham also boasts experience at this stage, stemming from his five starts in the previous World Cup edition, where he played a significant part as England reached the quarter-finals, where they controversially lost to France.

He is not just one of the faces of English football but also their reigning player of the year, and when push comes to shove, he is a class of his own among the players Thomas Tuchel can call on to bail him out of a tough situation.

2. Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa

None of England's #10 options has been more involved with the national team under Thomas Tuchel than Morgan Rogers, who has been capped in all but one of the 12 matches under the German coach.

He also boasts the best form of all the players judging by the ongoing season, even though Morgan Gibbs-White received a Premier League player of the season nomination ahead of the Villa man.

He has been Unai Emery's knight in shiny armour with 23 goal contributions across all competitions to help seal progress into next season's UEFA Champions League and seal a place in the Europa League final with a clash with Freiburg in Istanbul to come.

Just one goal and one assist in his 13 England caps so far, but he appears to be the most trusted by Tuchel among all options, although the talent and exposure of Jude Bellingham will be irresistible when the real battle gets underway.

Morgan Rogers is very likely to be heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup with England, and his ability to operate on the left will also increase his chances of making an appearance, if Bellingham turns into beast mode and becomes undroppable.

3. Morgan Gibbs-White of Nottingham Forest 

Morgan Gibbs-White is the only player outside the top half of the table to receive a nomination for the Premier League Player of the Season award, and that is a testament to his brilliance for Nottingham Forest this season.

Although the team struggled earlier in the league, his form helped them to their longest unbeaten run in Premier League history, one that took them away from the relegation battle at a very crucial period.

The former Wolves midfielder also played a vital role in their run to the Europa League semi-final with six direct goal involvements, but his lack of highlights with the Three Lions could impact his chances.

Despite making all six of his six England appearances, MGW is yet to really show what he is capable of given the limited minutes he has played, and it will be interesting to see if his Forest performances are enough to convince Thomas Tuchel.

4. Eberechi Eze of Arsenal

Eberechi Eze made his England debut three years ago in May 2023, but well over half of his 591 minutes have been played under Thomas Tuchel, including three of his four starts in 17 caps for the Three Lions.

A move to Arsenal last summer upset his consistent playing time, but he has convinced Mikel Arteta in a competitive player battling for both Premier League and Champions League titles, leading to 37 starts in 50 games across all competitions for the Gunners.

Eze has also contributed important goals, like the assist for the late equalizer against Man City, lone winners against Crystal Palace, Newcastle United, and the first North London hat-trick in the 21st century.

He has been called up for all international games since Tuchel arrived, although injury ruled him out of the most recent one in March, but that absence may also play a part in his chances of getting a call-up, because it literally ended Phil Foden's.

5. Phil Foden of Manchester City 

Although Phil Foden is the most experienced of all the available options, except when compared with Jude Bellingham, his chances of making it to the 2026 FIFA World Cup are very slim due to a lack of consistency.

Thomas Tuchel really made efforts to get the best out of him in the March international friendlies, but his failure to make the best of the opportunities is why the German said at the time that the Mancunian may not be selected.

Despite always getting behind the player he promoted to the first team, Pep Guardiola has also relegated Foden in the pecking order at City, as the manager preferred the more direct wingers, and better controllers in the middle.

Bernardo Silva and Rodri have been playing more in the City midfield this season, with Rayan Cherki just behind Erling Haaland, leaving the 24-year-old in limbo, although he has still contributed 13 Premier League goal contributions.

Nevertheless, there is no denying he is one of the least performing of the options available for Thomas Tuchel, and should things go as expected, Foden will watch England's 2026 World Cup games on his sofa.

6. Cole Palmer of Chelsea

Despite impressing in his first two seasons at Chelsea, Cole Palmer hasn't been a significant player for England, and his poor form further complicates any chance of making the squad for his first World Cup.

The Manchester City academy alumnus has scored just non-penalty goals and one assist in 24 Premier League games this season, numbers that expose the cause of Chelsea's struggles and failure to replicate the spark of previous campaigns.

Palmer has struggled to play himself into a major player for England and on the back of his least performing season, it'll be a massive decision for Thomas Tuchel to opt for him, especially with the talents competing with him for the spot.

Although he could also serve as backup to Bukayo Saka on the right, that will depend on whether Tuchel decides to look away from either Jarrod Bowen or Noni Madueke, but as far as the attacking midfield position is concerned, he is the least ranked in selection potential.

Final Verdict on England's playmaker for 2026 World Cup 

Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers are two players very sure of making the final England squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while Morgan Gibbs-White, despite his limited time with the national team, has earned a shot with his Forest performances.

Growing in a new environment, Eberechi Eze is playing an important part in a remarkable season for Arsenal, and with his ability to also operate on the left, he isn't far behind the aforementioned trio.

The more familiar names in Phil Foden and Cole Palmer have been disappointing this season and have never really been important contributors to England's success, a fact that will make their selection raise eyebrows.

The final decision is down to Thomas Tuchel, and on Friday evening, the players will learn their fate, whether they will join the hunt for the Three Lions' first major title since the 1966 World Cup, or they'll be at home, cheering for the team.