• Last Update: March 20, 2026 10:12:29 am GMT • 4 min read

England boss Thomas Tuchel opted to hedge his bets today and select an enlarged 35-man squad for the upcoming friendlies against Japan and Uruguay.

There were inclusions for Manchester United duo Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire while the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dominic Solanke, Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento were also recalled. James Garner is handed a first call-up while goalkeeper Jason Steele is named with a view to being a training partner at the World Cup.

Speaking about his decision to pick a larger squad for this camp, Tuchel said: “We decided to divide it into basically two camps almost, so we bring players in that we haven’t seen who haven’t played so much to open up the picture, and the competition for plane tickets to the US.

“Then from Friday and Saturday, a group of players will come into camp – 10 or 11 players who get a rest before and we will then go with a new group and mix of players into the match against Japan.”

England boss Tuchel finally looks at United players

The inclusion of Mainoo and Maguire are the first for Manchester United players since Tuchel took over last January.

Both men have played pivotal roles in United’s resurgence under Michael Carrick. Mainoo did not start a league game this season until Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim but has subsequently turned in a series of strong performances alongside Casemiro.

Maguire has also been a Carrick mainstay and appears back to his best after a lengthy spell of injuries and patchy form. He won the last of his 64 caps for the Three Lions under interim boss Lee Carsley over a year ago.

Newcastle’s Lewis Hall also included

The squad also featured Newcastle defender Lewis Hall, who has an excellent chance of nailing down the troublesome left-back berth.

Hall has been a shining light for Newcastle since returning from injury and impressed in keeping Lamine Yamal largely quiet over two Champions League games against Barcelona before the Magpies’ second-half collapse at Camp Nou.

This is Tuchel’s last squad call before he has to select his final group for the World Cup this summer in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Prior to the tournament, England play two more friendlies, against New Zealand and Costa Rica in Florida in June.

England squad in full

Where to watch England at the World Cup

England’s first match, against Croatia, and third, against Panama, will be on ITV. BBC Sport will show their second, against Ghana.

Their potential last-32, last-16 and semi-final matches will be on the BBC. A quarter-final would be on ITV, with both broadcasters showing the final.

June 17: England vs Croatia (21:00, ITV)

June 23: England vs Ghana (21:00, BBC)

June 27: England vs Panama (22:00, ITV)

How to watch the World Cup in the UK: TV, online live stream

Fans can stream the action via the BBC Sport and ITV websites, the BBC iPlayer app and the ITVX app, which are available on a vast variety of devices for viewing on the go.

When is the World Cup? 2026 dates

The tournament runs from June 11 until July 19 2026.

Who has qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

You can find the latest list of countries to have qualified on FIFA’s website.

2026 World Cup groups

Group A

• Mexico
• South Africa
• South Korea
• Play-off winner: Denmark/Czechia/Republic of Ireland/North Macedonia

Group B

• Canada
• Play-off winner: Italy/Wales/Bosnia-Herzegovina/Northern Ireland
• Qatar
• Switzerland

Group C

• Brazil
• Morocco
• Haiti
• Scotland

Group D

• USA
• Paraguay
• Australia
• Play-off winner: Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo

Group E

• Germany
• Curacao
• Ivory Coast
• Ecuador

Group F

• Netherlands
• Japan
• Play-off winner: Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania
• Tunisia

Group G

• Belgium
• Egypt
• Iran
• New Zealand

Group H

• Spain
• Cape Verde
• Saudi Arabia
• Uruguay

Group I

• France
• Senegal
• Play-off winner: Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname
• Norway

Group J

• Argentina
• Algeria
• Austria
• Jordan

Group K

• Portugal
• Play-off winner: DR Congo/Jamaica/New Caledonia
• Uzbekistan
• Colombia

Group L

• England
• Croatia
• Ghana
• Panama

When is the opening game of the World Cup?

The opening game will feature Mexico against South Africa on June 11 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Canada will take part in their opening game a day later in Toronto, with the United States also contesting their opening match on June 12 against Paraguay in Los Angeles.

When are the play-offs?

Six places at the World Cup are still to be decided, with four teams from UEFA along with two others from the five other confederations set to take their place at the finals.

The UEFA play-offs and the Inter-confederation begin with semi-final ties on March 26. The play-off finals will follow on March 31, when the line-up will be completed.