How England SHOULD line up against Mexico

England line up vs Mexico

Thomas Tuchel has some big decisions to make in his England side as they head into their round of 16 game with Mexico in Mexico City. England may be the higher-ranked side, here, but they're not clear favourites. The Azetca - as it is usually known - is a truly horrible place for visiting teams. Mexico have lost just two competitive games there ever. The altitude, the heat, the humidity, the tens of thousands of passionate home fans: everything seems to be going against England here.

This is a big game for Thomas Tuchel, who has to get his selection right. Mexico will aim to hit England quickly, and defend with their lives after. So what does that mean? Well, England will need steel at the back, and a bit of extra creativity through the middle. The good news is, this is a deep squad with plenty of options.

So, here's how GOAL thinks Tuchel should line up against Mexico... but we are not to blame if this all goes wrong!

Jordan Pickford

GK: Jordan Pickford

There's not much room for debate here, if only because Jordan Pickford is England's undisputed number one and not loads will change that. Questions have been raised about his form at this tournament. Those are absolutely fair. Pickford should have saved DR Congo's first in the round of 32. He also looked a little shaky against Ghana. But the fact remains that this is a class goalkeeper who will have his moments. England will just have to hope he rises to a big occasion.

England v Congo DR: Round Of 32 - FIFA World Cup 2026

RB: Declan Rice

Well, here we have a bit of a situation. It would be easy, at this point, to criticise Thomas Tuchel's squad selection. But even he could not have accounted for injuries to both his starting and reserve right-back. What Tuchel can be called out for, though, is his decision-making in terms of finding solutions. Jarrel Quansah wasn't the most inspired back-up, and Djed Spence hasn't quite delivered.

Tuchel might have stumbled upon a potential solution, though. In the last 15 minutes of the DR Congo win, Rice shifted to right-back. And England were so much more effective in attacking areas. Rice has played there before for Arsenal, and could be an ideal option here - assuming Reece James is not yet fit enough to return to action.

Panama v England: Group L - FIFA World Cup 2026

CB: Ezri Konsa

Should Konsa have been shown a red card and sent off for a remarkably silly challenge in England's scoreless draw with Ghana? Certainly. But those moments should also be granted a little bit of honesty, if not totally forgotten, in tournament play. Other than that, he has been mostly solid, and didn't put a foot wrong against Congo. It's not sexy, but it's enough.

Marc GUEHI-england-202406

CB: Marc Guehi

Tuchel left Guehi out for England's first game, favouring John Stones instead. That now looks a bit of a silly decision, given how class the Man City man has been since his introduction to the side. He is still very much in the youth of his England career, but Guehi is his country's best centre-back. And even if he hasn't hit his best levels, he can be trusted in big moments. That will be vital in Mexico City.

England v Congo DR: Round Of 32 - FIFA World Cup 2026

LB: Nico O'Reilly

And here comes the first really tough decision. Nico O'Reilly is a weird player to figure out. His attacking quality cannot be denied, and his ability to pass the ball forward from defence is vital if England want to construct more dangerous attacks. However, he has certainly been defensively suspect, especially against Croatia in the tournament-opener. However, if it's a battle between him and Djed Spence, then O'Reilly should win.

Panama v England: Group L - FIFA World Cup 2026

CM: Elliot Anderson

All of the advanced stats suggest that Anderson is one of the best midfielders in the world. And even if you don't buy into all of that stuff, the now-Man City man is a perfect anchor for this team. He keeps it tidy on the ball, snuffs out counter-attacks, and reads space effectively. Given the changes around him, he will need to be at his best against Mexico. But he can certainly be counted upon. A no-brainer.

Jude Bellingham England HIC

CM: Jude Bellingham

Duh! Jude Bellingham is either England's best or England's second-best player, depending on which way you look at things. Although he is at his most effective and comfortable as a No.10, Bellingham has shown he can very much function as a box-to-box player, too. He will have to do the dirty work against Mexico. It worked without Rice once. There's evidence to suggest it can work without Rice once more.

Panama v England: Group L - FIFA World Cup 2026

CM: Morgan Rogers

This would require a big recall from Tuchel. Rogers has impressed in brief spells at the World Cup, but is yet to fully explode. His understanding with Bellingham, in truth, is a bit lacking. There are ideas here, but the combinations aren't quite coming together.

This might be a risky forum to change all of that, but it's probably the best option available. With Rice at right-back, England still need a creative impetus. Step forward, Morgan.

FBL-WC-2026-MATCH22-ENG-CRO

RW: Noni Madueke

Here's another head-scratcher. At full strength, there is no doubt that Bukayo Saka is the solution here. But Saka is simply nowhere near fully fit. The Arsenal man looks hesitant, almost reluctant to run. A series of muscle issues seem to have caught up with him. Madueke is not the most exciting back-up, but he can fill a role. He is also among the tournament's leaders in expected assists, which is quite a good thing. Surely, he'll make something really meaningful happen eventually?...

FBL-WC-2026-MATCH80-ENG-COD

ST: Harry Kane

If England win the World Cup, Harry Kane will win the Ballon d'Or. That's pretty much all that needs saying here. Still not convinced of just how crucial he is? Go and watch the goals against Congo again.

England v Congo DR: Round Of 32 - FIFA World Cup 2026

LW: Anthony Gordon

This one could go either way. In fairness, Marcus Rashford could be a little hard done by being left out here. But Tuchel has stressed all summer that the spot at left-wing is very much open - and that both of his contenders have pushed for inclusion. Rashford got the start last time out but the pendulum should swing back to Gordon here, who can offer a bit more defensive aggression and showed some attacking quality with a couple of assists against Congo, too.