England supporters – Source: Unsplash
Euro 2024 was a strange old tournament for England. After reaching the final three years prior, the Three Lions were considered the joint favorites to lift the trophy in Berlin, level with France. However, their early tournament displays left a lot to be desired, with fans beginning to clamor for manager Gareth Southgate’s head.
England started with a 1-0 win against Serbia, courtesy of Jude Bellingham’s first-half header, but back-to-back draws against Denmark and Slovenia meant that they stumbled into the last 16 in dire form. Things looked to be going from bad to worse when Ivan Schranz gave Slovakia a shock lead in the round of 16, with the Falcons clinging to that lead deep into injury time. Then, fate took over.
England’s Miraculous Run to the Euro 2024 Final
With the clock ticking into the 95th minute, Jude Bellingham scored a spectacular bicycle kick to somehow keep England in the tournament and send the tie to extra time. There, Harry Kane would find the winner, and in the quarterfinal against Switzerland, similar heroics were on display. With ten minutes remaining, the Three Lions were once again staring down the barrel after Breel Embolo’s opener, but once more, they would find a stunning equalizer through Bukayo Saka before winning a penalty shootout, their first in the Euros since 1996.
In the semis against the Netherlands, England would once again come back from the dead. Xavi Simons gave the Oranje the lead, only for a Harry Kane equalizer to level things up. Then, the captain’s replacement, Ollie Watkins, would score a stunning last-gasp winner to propel the Three Lions to the final. Unfortunately, in Berlin, England’s luck would run out, as Mikel Oyarzabal’s late winner took the title to Madrid for a record-breaking fourth time, and Southgate would depart as manager shortly thereafter.
With the World Cup just around the corner, Thomas Tuchel is now at the helm, and online betting sites make England contenders once again. The early FIFA World Cup odds three months out from the tournament getting underway price the Three Lions as an 11/2 second-favorite, with only Spain – the team that beat them in that Euro 2024 final – considered more likely at 9/2. But how many of the team that started that loss in Berlin are likely to start England’s tournament opener against Croatia on June 17th in Dallas? Let’s take a look.
Jordan Pickford
Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has been a reliable last line of defence ever since the 2018 World Cup. England had only ever won one penalty shootout in history prior to him emerging as the number one. Since then, they have won three, including a maiden shootout triumph at the World Cup in the 2018 Round of 16 against Colombia. He will almost certainly start against Croatia this summer.
Marc Guehi
Two years ago, then-Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi was a surprise late addition to England’s starting eleven for the European Championships. He was the man tasked with sitting alongside John Stones due to the injury absence of Harry Maguire. Now, however, he is likely to be the only man from the Three Lions’ back four who started in Germany to also start in North America.
Kyle Walker has retired from international football, while John Stones has suffered injury issues all season. Luke Shaw could be in line to secure a shock return to the national team thanks to his recent improvement in form under Michael Carrick at Manchester United, but he is far from a certainty to start. Guehi, however, now at Manchester City, will start.
Declan Rice
Midfielder Declan Rice is still one of the first names on the team sheet. The former West Ham United man was initially brought in to anchor the midfield heading into Euro 2020, and he was one of the stars of the show as England reached the final. Ever since, he has been a consistent presence in the English midfield, making 72 caps and very rarely missing a game. However, this summer could well be his fourth tournament in a row in which he starts with a different midfield partner.
Kalvin Phillips, Jordan Henderson, and Kobbie Mainoo have all started alongside Rice at each of those last three tournaments, with the latter of that trio being the chosen one at Euro 2024. This summer, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is the leading candidate.
Bukayo Saka
Similar to Arsenal teammate Rice, Bukayo Saka has also been one of the first names on the English team’s sheet since Euro 2020. He was in top form at the 2022 World Cup, netting twice in the tournament opener against Iran, as well as bagging against Senegal in the Round of 16. Considered one of the best players at Euro 2024, he scored that crucial equalizer against Switzerland in the quarterfinals, and he remains a lock to start against Croatia in Dallas, even if his form for the Gunners this season hasn’t reached the lofty standards set in previous campaigns.
Harry Kane
At the age of 32, the upcoming World Cup could well be the last for England captain Harry Kane. If it is, boy, would he like to go out with a bang. The Bayern Munich striker has long been the Three Lions’ talisman, and he remains exactly that in 2026, with his whopping haul of 45 goals in 38 games in Bavaria this season the cause for plenty of English excitement. If he can replicate those exploits in North America, there is a very real chance that football could finally come home.