England 2026 World Cup squad: player-by-player ratings

The Guardian provides a player-by-player performance review of the England squad following their third-place finish at the 2026 World Cup. The article highlights standout performances from players like Djed Spence and Marc Guéhi while evaluating the contributions of the entire 24-man roster.
Why it matters
This analysis serves as a post-mortem for a major international sporting event, influencing public perception of the national team's future trajectory.
Bukayo Saka, Jordan Pickford, Djed Spence and Jude Bellingham were among England’s top performers. Composite: Rex/Shutterstock; Getty Images Bukayo Saka, Jordan Pickford, Djed Spence and Jude Bellingham were among England’s top performers. Composite: Rex/Shutterstock; Getty Images England England 2026 World Cup squad: player-by-player ratings After the team’s third-placed finish, we rate the 24 squad members who made an appearance at the tournament
Ed Aarons in Miami Sun 19 Jul 2026 07.00 EDT Last modified on Sun 19 Jul 2026 16.32 EDT Share Prefer the Guardian on Google Goalkeepers Jordan Pickford Could he have done better with Enzo Fernández’s equaliser for Argentina? Jude Bellingham certainly thought so. But the man who has made more World Cup finals appearances than any other Englishman made some crucial saves, including a brilliant stop from Nicolas González in the semi-final. 7
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