England will co-host Euro 2028 alongside Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland, with the tournament beginning on 9 June 2028. Although Thomas Tuchel’s side are co-hosts, they are not guaranteed a place; all hosts must earn their spot. Before that road begins in earnest, England host world champions Spain on Saturday in their Nations League opener, a competition that does not offer direct qualification but provides a secondary route for teams who do not qualify automatically.
BBC Sport asked several of its experts to predict England’s starting XI for Euro 2028. The forecasts are not official selections, but they offer a glimpse of how the squad could evolve over the next two years.
Jordan Pickford is the most common choice in goal. Phil McNulty notes Pickford will be 34 when Euro 2028 starts and sees no problem there, though James Trafford will mount a serious challenge. John Murray would not be surprised to see Trafford and Dean Henderson given opportunities, but believes Pickford’s experience may still give him the edge. Alex Howell also expects Pickford to remain number one, with Trafford pushing him close after a couple more seasons of Premier League football.
Up front, Ian Dennis points out that Harry Kane will be 34 years and 317 days old when Euro 2028 kicks off, and backs him to lead the line barring injury. McNulty is banking on Kane having one more major tournament in him, even though he will be pushing 35. McNulty also considers Bukayo Saka a certain pick and expects Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha to develop quickly enough to be an England regular on the left by 2028. Alex Howell says Max Dowman will be 18 by then and could challenge Saka, while Brian Madjo looks to be the next bright natural number nine and could be Kane’s understudy.
In defence, McNulty would pick Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back but is not convinced Tuchel trusts him, so he selected Tino Livramento if he can stay fit. He also suggests Jarrad Branthwaite, if injury-free, could partner Marc Guehi in central defence, with Nico O’Reilly at left-back. Murray expects Livramento, Lewis Hall and Ben White to stake claims in the full-back positions. Dennis says right-back is his only area of uncertainty, noting nine different players have started there since September 2024, and would not rule out Archie Gray forcing his way into contention. Howell sees Branthwaite as a key physical centre-back whose left foot would bring balance, though the pick could also go to Levi Colwill.
Midfield brings more debate. McNulty prefers Adam Wharton ahead of Elliot Anderson alongside Declan Rice, and says Jude Bellingham ended any arguments about his class and place in the team with a brilliant World Cup. Howell sees a tight call between Wharton and Myles Lewis-Skelly, but with Tuchel still likely in charge he predicts the more physical Lewis-Skelly as the number six. Sami Mokbel’s team is largely the same as the one viewed as England’s first choice at the World Cup, apart from Morgan Rogers, although he thinks it will be a close call between Rogers and Anthony Gordon.
Beyond the starting XI, Mokbel names Rio Ngumoha, Alex Scott, Lewis Miley and even Max Dowman as players likely to push for a squad spot. Murray says Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer, perhaps Morgan Gibbs-White and maybe Dowman will be close to the starting line-up. Dennis also backs Dowman to be part of the 2028 squad.
England’s recent tournament record gives some experts reason for optimism. Murray notes that England have reached a World Cup semi-final and a European Championship final in the past two years, suggesting the group is close and there is little need to rip it up. He adds that playing on home soil must increase their chances of finally getting the job done. BBC Sport has also invited readers to pick their own England XI for Euro 2028.