Another World Cup is in the books, and you know what that means: four more years of hurt, minimum, in England’s bid to replicate the triumph of 1966.

The Three Lions arrived in North America with a 26-man squad and a German coach in Thomas Tuchel, who led the England side at a major tournament for the first time. And on the face of it, a semi-final run (just the fourth in England’s World Cup history) was an admirable effort, with no shame in losing to reigning champions Argentina.

Yet the late heartbreak in that semi-final was frustratingly familiar, with Tuchel under fire for his defensive approach in the final half-hour. In fact, for some fans, the defeat has re-contextualised Tuchel’s own tournament: did he bring the right players, and did he deploy his selected group properly?

There were zero minutes for Kobbie Mainoo, while Jordan Henderson’s divisive inclusion gave way to a broken wrist as an unused substitute in a farcical scene. Then there was striker and captain Harry Kane, who scored another healthy helping of goals but is running out of competitions to win gold with England.

Below, we rate every England player at the 2026 World Cup, after the Three Lions signed off with a thrilling 6-4 win over France in the bronze final.

England player ratings for 2026 World Cup

Jordan Pickford – 7/10: No howlers, but not the clean-sheet assuredness we’ve seen in tournaments gone by. In fact, Pickford leaked at least a goal in five of his seven matches and could have done better for DR Congo’s goal and Enzo Fernandez’s equaliser for Argentina. That being said, his performance against Mexico was one of his best, if not his very best, in an England shirt.

Dean Henderson – 5: How about that for a World Cup debut? The Palace stopper was handed his chance in the third-place play-off but conceded four goals to a rampant France in the second-half. In his defence, every goal was a sumptuous finish.

James Trafford – N/A: Didn’t feature at all and, deep down, probably a bit miffed he didn’t get the nod over Henderson on Saturday. However, hard to argue when you’ve been a No 2 all season. He’ll be targeting the No 1 jersey for Euro 2028 but, first, he’ll need to find a No 1 jersey in the Premier League.

Reece James – 6: Such a figure of frustration. When fit and available, his quality is unquestionable, both on the ball with his passing (as shown in his midfield stints) and off the ball with his strong defensive efforts. However, a hamstring issue reared its head and he missed three of England’s eight matches at a crucial time of the tournament.

Jarell Quansah – 3: Tough tournament debut. Trusted at right-back in James’ absence against Mexico, he looked assured until lunging in and receiving a red card. His subsequent two-game ban was a big blow for Tuchel amid a crisis at right-back. And, in hindsight, it was a completely needless lunge-in.

Djed Spence – 7: What a topsy-turvy tournament for the Tottenham defender. Down in the doldrums after a poor display against DR Congo, Spence looked brilliant as a substitute against Mexico and Norway before that starry-eyed display versus Argentina – and that tackle. His pacey recoveries bring back memories of a certain Kyle Walker.

Ezri Konsa – 6: A starter in every match apart from the semi-final against Argentina shows the trust Tuchel placed in the versatile Aston Villa defender. Grew into the tournament after a nervy start against Croatia and deserved his goal against France. Could he have been a bit sharper on an unmarked Lautaro Martinez in stoppage time against Argentina? Perhaps.

John Stones – 6: Looked really rusty against Croatia but, again, grew into the tournament as he played more. A real leader in that England dressing room too, with 94 caps to his name. And we’ll always have that “shoulder injury” dance video….

Trevoh Chalobah: – N/A: Came on in the 93rd minute against France for his only minutes of the tournament. A somewhat odd replacement for wing-back Tino Livramento, it never looked likely that Chalobah would be properly called upon.

Marc Guehi – 7: Oddly dropped for the opener, Guehi then featured from the Ghana game onwards and grabbed the mantle of England’s most accomplished defender. In particular, his nullifying of Man City teammate Erling Haaland set England on their way to the semis.

Dan Burn – 7: A cult figure amongst the fans, Burn’s substitute appearances against Mexico and Norway were iconic, forcefully winning headers and showing a level of passion to make any Englishman proud. And yet, substituting him on against Argentina just gave Lionel Messi and Co even more impetus at the end of the semi-final.

Nico O’Reilly – 6: Dropped for the semi-final, O’Reilly was simply solid throughout. Never looked overawed by any occasion in his first tournament and built up a good understanding with Anthony Gordon on the left. Is it too harsh to say we expected a smidge more going forward given his Man City attacking exploits?

Elliot Anderson – 7: His first tournament with England and a promising start. Was not perfect, but his energy was something to admire, and there were touches of technical quality that were overlooked by many observers. A partnership with Rice would be trusty at future competitions, but is a different profile of midfielder needed (too?).

Declan Rice – 7: Struggled for full fitness as the tournament wore on, preventing him from being at his best, when England really needed him to be. However, he keeps a pretty strong rating here for his right-back stint against DR Congo and that impressive opening goal versus France.

Jordan Henderson – 2: Had the briefest cameo in a nothing spell of the game against Panama, then broke his wrist as an unused substitute against Mexico. Yes, all sympathy to him for that, and without going behind closed doors, we can’t speak to the value of his experience and leadership… but his place this summer was ultimately wasted on him.

Kobbie Mainoo – N/A: Didn’t play a single minute, raising questions over why he was brought at all. Bronze final versus France seemed a surefire moment for him to feature… only for a back injury to rule him out. Could his ability to hold the ball have helped against Argentina? We’ll never know.

Jude Bellingham – 9: Stepped up on so many occasions, showing once again that he is the future of this team – and already more important than Kane, whose six goals he eclipsed with an all-time, English record of seven at a major tournament. His efforts were ceaseless, although that petty streak needs watching…

Morgan Rogers – 6: Showed his quality with that assist for Gordon in the semi-final, which – in another world – could have taken on huge historical importance for England. His initiative to shoot from range against Norway also led to a crucial Bellingham rebound, but these moments were the extent of his contributions, as the ‘Rogers v Bellingham’ No 10 battle never got going.

Bukayo Saka – 7: Boosted his rating with that hat-trick in the thrilling 6-4 win over France, having started the tournament well with three assists to his name. However, in the heart of England’s run, he failed to make his usual mark. That was clearly down to injury struggles, though, which at times begged the question of whether he should have even been brought to the World Cup. 

Eberechi Eze – 5: Did well against France after getting his first start of the tournament. Before that, he did not impress as a substitute, but also wasn’t given too many chances to, given Gordon grew into the competition out left and Bellingham was exceptional through the middle.

Noni Madueke – 5: There’s a temptation to go lower here, with the Arsenal winger having been actively poor against Norway, a performance that still sticks out. His tournament peaked in the opener, as he won a spot-kick versus Croatia. However, he did work hard all summer, having been tasked with more minutes than one would’ve expected, due to Saka’s injury issues. 

Harry Kane – 7: Given the captain notched another six World Cup goals, plus a crucial assist against Mexico, this rating may feel harsh. After all, he was the hero with a double against DR Congo, crucial with a brace against Croatia, and his penalty versus Mexico also proved essential. But Kane could not make an impact in the quarter-final versus Norway or the semi-final versus Argentina, and those misfires in the biggest moments cost him slightly here.

Ivan Toney – 3: A reflection of his lack of game time, not a lack of quality per se. He was barely given a few minutes at the end of the Argentina tie, and although he started against France, he was unable to get in on the many, many goals. 

Ollie Watkins – 3: Again, a rating based on a lack of game time. Had a handful of minutes prior to the second half against France in the bronze final. Surely should have been given more opportunities to show his worth.

Marcus Rashford – 5: That clinical finish against Croatia, in England’s opener, promised so much. Rashford was a revelation off the bench in that game, but he failed to replicate that showing against Ghana, and both his minutes and impact dwindled as the tournament went on. 

Anthony Gordon – 7: Deserves immense credit for turning his tournament around, having produced a couple of early performances that rightfully cost him his place in the starting XI. He won a penalty against Mexico and improved further to score against Argentina, a moment he should cherish as much as possible.