Ngumoha and Dowman IN - Predicting England's squad for the 2030 World Cup

Analysis

Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

England enjoyed their best ever World Cup finish on foreign soil in 2026, thanks to their win over France in the ‘Bronze Final’, but the wait for a second star goes on for another four years following a dismal semi-final defeat to Argentina.

It remains to be seen if Thomas Tuchel will still be in charge when the Three Lions next take to the field in a World Cup fixture and a host of players who featured in 2026 are likely to have already played their last ever game at the tournament.

Below, FootballTransfers attempts to predict England’s 26-man squad for the 2030 World Cup.

Goalkeepers

James Trafford, Carl Rushworth, Dean Henderson.

Jordan Pickford is now 32 years old and while he could retain his place as the preferred option for Euro 2028, it’s highly unlikely that he will ever play at the World Cup again.

The Everton shot-stopper has been a fantastic servant for England, but it’s time for the Three Lions to integrate his replacement and Manchester City’s James Trafford is the most obvious candidate.

He needs to leave the Etihad Stadium for regular game time in order for this to happen, of course, however Trafford is a superb goalkeeper and at just 23 years old, he will be in his prime when the next World Cup kicks off.

His back-up may prove to be Carl Rushworth, who enjoyed a sensational season on loan at Coventry City as they achieved promotion back to the Premier League under Frank Lampard last term. The 25-year-old is expected to leave Brighton & Hove Albion on a permanent deal this summer and while he may never establish himself as an England regular, he could be Trafford’s back-up in 2030.

It’s hard to predict the third-choice goalkeeper, but Dean Henderson will still only be 33 years old at the next World Cup and his experience could be vitally important alongside Trafford and Rushworth, so he gets the nod over James Beadle and Aaron Ramsdale.

Defenders

Levi Colwill, Josh Acheampong, Marc Guehi, Charlie Cresswell, Valentino Livramento, Reece James, Lewis Hall, Nico O’Reilly.

John Stones is likely to have played his final game at the World Cup and while Ezri Konsa’s international career is still in its infancy, he is 28 years old and there is a chance that he may have been fazed out of England’s team by the time the next tournament rolls around.

Chelsea star Levi Colwill will, however, have established himself as a consistent starter for the Three Lions by that stage, and he could be partnered by his current club team-mate Josh Acheampong, who is extremely highly-rated and is already a regular at Under-21 level.

Acheampong can also play at right-back, but his future lies in the centre of defence and it’s likely that he will be in the conversation to start for England at the next World Cup.

Meanwhile, Marc Guehi will keep his place from 2026 and the centre-back roster may be completed by Charlie Cresswell, who currently plays for Toulouse. The 23-year-old, who played a pivotal role as England won the U21 Euros in 2025, is a physically-imposing central defender and with Harry Maguire and Dan Burn set to be out of the picture by 2030, he is the next in line to take on this role.

At right-back, it’s equally interesting. Trent Alexander-Arnold will be 31 years old in 2030 and while his international career may not be over, it remains to be seen if he will work his way back into favour, and his age may count against him. So, he has missed out.

Instead, Valentino Livramento could establish himself as England’s preferred right-back at the next World Cup, although he needs to fix his ongoing injury issues as this could soon prove to be a major problem.

Reece James, who is 26 years old, will also be in competition for a starting berth if he is able to remain fairly injury-free over the next four years. Djed Spence, one of England’s heroes in 2026, has been omitted from our predicted squad for 2030.

At left-back, Nico O’Reilly and Lewis Hall are expected to battle for a starting berth once again, despite the fact the former may well have moved into a midfield role at club level within the next four years.

The likes of Jarell Quansah, Ayden Heaven and Stephen Mfuni will also be in the conversation to be included in the squad.

Midfielders

Myles Lewis-Skelly, Adam Wharton, Kobbie Mainoo, Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham.

Jordan Henderson won’t be in England’s squad for the 2030 World Cup, that’s for sure, but the likes of Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Morgan Rogers and Jude Bellingham will almost certainly retain their places. The latter could even be used as a centre forward.

Kobbie Mainoo is likely to be selected again too, although his bid to be included may be harmed if Tuchel is still in charge. At just 21 years old, though, he has plenty of time to iron out his game and develop into the midfielder that England are crying out for.

Meanwhile, Adam Wharton could finally be given a chance at a major tournament. He will be 26 years old when the 2030 World Cup kicks off and his calmness in possession is a trait that could prove vital during the latter stages of the tournament.

Wharton will likely compete with Myles Lewis-Skelly for a prominent role in the middle of the park, with the Arsenal youngster moving into midfield during the final few weeks of last season and he is set to remain in this role moving forward.

Finally, Cole Palmer will almost certainly be recalled for the next World Cup, with the Chelsea superstar expected to rekindle his form under new Blues manager Xabi Alonso after a hugely underwhelming 2025-26 campaign.

Alex Scott narrowly misses out, while the tournament may come slightly too soon for youngsters such as Reggie Watson and Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli.

Forwards

Max Dowman, Bukayo Saka, Rio Ngumoha, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, Shumaira Mheuka, Will Lankshear.

England have a plethora of talented young wingers to choose from and U19 duo Rio Ngumoha and Max Dowman are likely to be the Three Lions’ first-choice duo at the 2030 World Cup.

The pair enjoyed breakout seasons in the Premier League last year and they will bring a breath of fresh air when they eventually become regulars in the England senior team, which could even happen before Euro 2028.

Ngumoha is a frightening left winger with quick feet and an eye for goal, and he won the Man of the Match award on his senior debut for England during a pre-tournament warm-up friendly versus New Zealand.

Dowman, on the other hand, may eventually transition into an attacking midfielder, but his immediate future is as a right winger and it won’t be long before he becomes a consistent starter for Arsenal. He is arguably England’s biggest young talent and he’s likely to be a pivotal player at the next World Cup.

Meanwhile, Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon, two stars of 2026, will be 28 and 29 years old respectively at the next World Cup, and will likely retain their places in the squad.

Jesse Derry, who will spend the 2026-27 season on loan at Sporting CP, and Mikey Moore, who caught the eye for Rangers last term, will likely compete with Gordon to be Ngumoha’s back-up.

Up front, it seems inconceivable that Harry Kane won’t captain England at Euro 2028 and he could therefore be tempted to extend his international career by a further two years in order to compete at the next World Cup.

He will be 36 years old, close to 37, when the 2030 tournament kicks off, but he may still be competing at a high level in club football, and by the time qualifying for the next World Cup begins, Kane will almost certainly still be active.

He won’t be a guaranteed starter by any means, however it would be perhaps foolish to completely rule him out of contention, even if he plays a similar role to the one Jordan Henderson performed in 2026.

In regards to the first-choice option, it may well be between Shumaira Mheuka and Will Lankshear, if Bellingham remains in midfield.

The former won the Premier League 2 Player of the Year award for 2025-26, following a sublime campaign for Chelsea, while he netted 13 goals in 10 caps for England U19s throughout the season too. He is regarded as the most likely future number nine for the Three Lions.

Lankshear, on the other hand, is a product of Tottenham Hotspur’s academy and he scored 11 goals on loan at Oxford United in the Championship last season. Lankshear is an all-round striker with excellent hold-up play and superb finishing, and at 21 years old he has plenty of time to develop into a consistent Premier League goalscorer.

Manchester City youngsters Teddie Lamb and Divin Mubama may also force themselves into the 2030 squad, while Norwich City striker Jovon Makama is an outside shout. He scored 10 goals in 28 Championship games in the 2025-26 season.

Our predicted England squad for 2030 World Cup

Goalkeepers: James Trafford, Carl Rushworth, Dean Henderson.

Defenders: Levi Colwill, Josh Acheampong, Marc Guehi, Charlie Cresswell, Valentino Livramento, Reece James, Lewis Hall, Nico O’Reilly.

Midfielders: Myles Lewis-Skelly, Adam Wharton, Kobbie Mainoo, Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham.

Forwards: Max Dowman, Bukayo Saka, Rio Ngumoha, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, Shumaira Mheuka, Will Lankshear.

Written by

Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Cameron Smith is a Digital Content Producer for FootballTransfers, having joined the team upon its inception in November 2020.

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