England’s World Cup 2026 campaign is over. The post-mortem will now take place, and we will start with England player ratings from their run to the semi-final.
With questions over Thomas Tuchel’s original selections, leaving out names including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer, and Phil Foden, to name a few, on the whole, those selected stepped up, performed, and can be proud of how far they progressed in the tournament. The disappointment and ultimate failure lie with the manager, his defensive tactics in the semi-final, and his delayed response.
Let’s take a look at England’s player ratings from the 2026 World Cup.
Read More: Thomas Tuchel Ensures Football Won’t Come Home For England
England Player Ratings from the 2026 World Cup
Goalkeepers
Jordan Pickford – 7/10
There’s only one man who featured in goal, and that man is Jordan Pickford. He performed well, and despite conceding two against Argentina in the semi-final, fans must remember that he kept the score as low as it was. Keeping clean sheets against Ghana and Panama was to be expected.
His tournament highlight is, without a doubt, the Mexico quarter-final. Although he conceded two, one of which came from a penalty, he was the man of the moment. Making three saves, being confident in coming to claim the ball, and dispersing pressure with high ball claims, he helped see a 10-man England over the line.
England Player Ratings: Wide Defenders
Djed Spence 6/10
Eyebrows were raised when Tottenham’s Djed Spence was selected, but there’s little doubt that he was of great value to Tuchel. Being able to operate on either the left or right, Spence was an important weapon. The DR Congo game was one to forget; however, his performance against Argentina has been overshadowed by the disappointing result. He progressed the ball well, was solid in defence, and was a threat going forward.
Nico O’Reilly 7/10
After a fantastic season with Manchester City, Nico O’Reilly was a guaranteed starter for England. The 21-year-old performed well against Panama and Norway but struggled in Mexico. Despite being inexperienced at international level, he didn’t let it deter him, rose to the occasion when it mattered, and, assuming he continues to feature for City, has all but locked down the left-back position.
Reece James 4/10
A wholly unimpressive tournament for Reece James. A dismal display against Croatia, followed by a solid 90 minutes against an unambitious Ghana side, saw him suffer yet another injury, keeping him out for two games. He offered some much-needed calm to proceedings against Norway; however, he appeared to be drawn into the game itself against Argentina, giving away fouls and playing the moment, rather than the situation itself. He was subbed off at 82 minutes with another suspected injury.
Jarrell Quansah 2/10
Jarrell Quansah had a tournament to forget, to say the least. A solid performance against Panama can’t overshadow the Mexico performance. Like James, he played the moment, not the game itself. A horrific attempt at a tackle saw him sent off after just 54 minutes, plunging England into a difficult situation. It’s worth noting that he was being played out of position; however, a tackle like that is inexcusable. Likely the lowest on our list of England player ratings.
England Player Ratings: Centre Backs
Marc Guehi 6/10
A very average tournament for Marc Guehi sees him score a 6/10 on our list of England player ratings for the World Cup. He didn’t do anything particularly special aside from an excellent showing against Ghana. He was solid against Panama and DR Congo, but when it came to the later knockout games, he was average. Not match-winning, not match-costing.
Ezri Konsa 7/10
An up-and-down tournament for Ezri Konsa, who had several above-average performances throughout. Starting alongside John Stones against Croatia, he had a rocky start; however, he rallied to impress across the next three games. He was fatigued against Mexico, which saw a lacklustre performance; however, he bounced back against Norway and kept Erling Haaland quiet.
He’s the face of the problem against Argentina as he was brought on to replace Anthony Gordon and epitomised the defensive outlook on the game after just 72 minutes. It’s worth noting that this isn’t a slight on his individual performance but rather on the manager’s tactics. Allowing Lautaro Martinez a free header in the box to score the goal that would knock England out is inexcusable, however.
John Stones 7/10
After rarely featuring for Manchester City this season, Stones was thrust into the starting XI for the first group game. Conceding two goals and not impressing saw him dropped for the next four games. Against Mexico, he came on to replace Quansah and added much-needed experience and calm (and a match-winning tackle) to the game. He kept former teammate Erling Haaland quiet against Norway, but, like Konsa, allowing Martinez a free header in between centre-backs shouldn’t be overlooked.
Dan Burn 4/10
Dan Burn offered somewhat unexpected comic relief during the World Cup. His 15-minute cameo against Mexico is remembered for a big header. Another big clearance against Norway made him into somewhat of a cult hero. Sticking him on against Argentina saw England concede two goals and use him as an attacking outlet…
