Thomas Tuchel has named a 25-man England squad for the meaningless World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania, with recalls for Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden. The Three Lions, already qualified after winning all six prior group games, face Serbia at Wembley on November 13 and Albania away on November 16. Tuchel emphasized central roles for the returning stars amid ongoing squad selection debates.
England manager Thomas Tuchel announced his squad on November 7, 2025, for the final two matches of their perfect World Cup qualifying campaign in Group K. The Three Lions have secured their spot in the 2026 finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico by winning all six games, scoring 18 goals and conceding none. These upcoming fixtures against Serbia and Albania are dead rubbers, but they offer a final chance for players to impress before the tournament draw in December 2025.
Key returns include Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham, who has scored three goals and provided an assist in his last four club games after shoulder surgery, and Manchester City's Phil Foden, absent from the previous three camps. Tuchel views both as number 10s. On Foden, he said: “Where Phil played against Borussia Dortmund is where I see him the strongest. He is close to the opponent’s box and a mix between a number nine and a 10.” For Bellingham, Tuchel added: “Jude comes back as a number 10. That’s his best position. One of his key strengths is to score from this position.” This raises questions about fitting both into the starting XI alongside captain Harry Kane.
The squad blends youth and experience, with Bournemouth's Alex Scott earning a first senior call-up as a number eight. Tuchel praised Scott: “He deserves to be with us... He has come a long way and has performed his way into this nomination.” New inclusions are Newcastle's Nick Pope and Manchester City's Nico O’Reilly. However, challenges remain: no specialist left-back after Myles Lewis-Skelly was omitted for being “outperformed,” and a surplus of defensive midfielders including Declan Rice, Jordan Henderson, Adam Wharton, and Elliot Anderson.
Notable omissions include Jack Grealish, despite four assists and a goal in 10 appearances for Everton on loan, in favor of Anthony Gordon, who has no Premier League goals or assists since January. Ollie Watkins was left out due to injury, highlighting limited backup for Kane at number nine. Past results underscore England's dominance: 2-0 vs Albania (March 21), 3-0 vs Latvia (March 24), 1-0 vs Andorra (June 7), 2-0 vs Andorra (September 6), 5-0 vs Serbia (September 9), and 5-0 vs Latvia (October 14).
Tuchel remains open-minded for the finals, stating: “The final nomination is only in May and until then, anything can happen.” The games will be broadcast live on ITV1 in the UK.
