There’s nothing quite like a good England XI debate to get the nation arguing over its cornflakes.
BBC Sport has thrown petrol on that particular fire this week, with its panel of pundits each putting together their ideal England World Cup starting lineup. And predictably, no two selections are the same.
The goalkeeping spot appears settled, with Jordan Pickford keeping his place in virtually every pundit’s selection. It’s in midfield and attack where things get genuinely spicy. Jude Bellingham is a near-universal pick, which feels right given he’s arguably England’s most complete footballer right now. But the debate around who lines up alongside him? That’s where friendships go to die.
Declan Rice earns his place in most XIs, though a few of the panel have been brave enough to suggest England need more creativity and less industry in the engine room. Kobbie Mainoo gets a shout from those who’ve watched him closely at Manchester United, and it’s hard to argue with the 19-year-old’s composure on the ball.
Up front, the Harry Kane question looms large. He’s England’s all-time leading scorer, and yet some pundits reckon his lack of Premier League football at Bayern Munich could be a concern come tournament time. Others think that’s overthinking it.
“When Kane’s fit and in form, you build your team around him. Simple as that,” one pundit suggested, capturing the view of roughly half the panel.
The wider forward positions spark the liveliest rows. Bukayo Saka on the right feels automatic to most. Phil Foden, Anthony Gordon, Cole Palmer, Jarrod Bowen; the competition for those remaining attacking slots is genuinely fierce, and there’s no obvious right answer.
At the back, Kyle Walker’s pace at right-back divides opinion given his age, while John Stones and Marc Guehi appear to be the favoured centre-back pairing among the more tactically minded pundits.
What’s striking about the whole exercise is how much genuine talent England have right now compared to, say, the 2014 squad that shuffled out of Brazil in embarrassment. The debate isn’t about plugging gaps anymore; it’s about impossible choices between genuinely good players.
So the real question isn’t who the pundits would pick. It’s whether Gareth Southgate’s successor can actually get the best out of all of them at the same time.
