International Football
International
Break
live
Updated 4m ago
England face neighbours Wales in an international friendly as their 2026 World Cup prep continues today.
Thomas Tuchel's men are looking to continue their fine form after beating Serbia 5-0 last time out.
Craig Bellamy's resurgent Wales are aiming to upset the favourites at Wembley Stadium in London.
GO FURTHER
English football, right-wing politics, and a new front in the culture wars
Thomas Tuchel has revealed the England captain against Wales will be one of Jordan Henderson, John Stones or Declan Rice. He said:
“They have an attitude towards training, towards what it takes to be a team player, of the highest, highest standards. If these guys are in camp, their level is the highest level.”
He also emphasised the necessity of such team cohesion — interesting after Steven Gerrard's comments recently — ahead of the 2026 World Cup, viewing it as more important to the team’s chances as individual talent.
“We will arrive as underdogs at the World Cup because we haven’t won it for decades. And we will play against teams who have repeatedly won it during that time.
“So we have to arrive as a team, or we will have no chance. We don’t collect the most talented players, we collect the guys who have the glue and cohesion to be the best team.”
Advertisement
Captain and striker Harry Kane — settled at his club Bayern Munich — is out of the Wales game today after previously saying he was ‘fine’ for England duty, having limped off for Bayern against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.
Manager Thomas Tuchel said:
💬 “Harry will miss the game. He got a kick in his last match with Bayern Munich. It’s too painful to kick a ball, too risky that he gets another kick and will be in an up-and-down situation pain-wise.
“We gave him the chance that everything calms down. We are convinced he will be ready for the match against Latvia.”
John Stones is back after a 2024-25 season so hit by injuries that he considered retirement, with team-mate Nico O'Reilly also called up for the first time to replace the injured Reece James. He offers an option at left-back.
FIFA has changed the men’s international calendar for the 2026-2030 period by merging the September and October international breaks into one.
Currently, separate windows in September and October sees nations play a maximum of two matches in each, but from next year onwards, this will be condensed into one period with a maximum of four matches.
The change means the Premier League and other top European divisions will miss around a three-week break (say, from September 21 to October 10, 2026) providing extra time for club fixtures.
The first of the new windows will see the first four matches of the 2026-27 Nations League campaign for European countries.
The Athletic has live coverage of the England vs Wales international friendly at Wembley.
It was this time last year, when Lee Carsley was interim manager of England, that the Football Association moved to get Thomas Tuchel in as the next permanent head coach. When his appointment was announced, the FA said he signed his contract on October 8, one year ago this Wednesday.
It has gone fast, even though Thursday’s Wembley friendly against Wales will only be Tuchel’s seventh game in charge of the national team. We are already halfway through that deal and the outlines of the team he wants to take to the World Cup next summer are already becoming clear: an England side who prioritise their own way of playing, rather than being built around the squad’s biggest names.
Good question.
Lots is still up for grabs in World Cup qualifying Group J.
Unbeaten North Macedonia are on 11 points thanks to conceding only twice, with Wales a point back in third.
Between them lie group favourites Belgium, who also boast 10 points but with a game in hand.
Craig Bellamy's side are certainly in the mix and will hope for a positive performance and result today to boost their confidence as they aim to qualify for next summer's tournament.
It was not such a positive result for Wales in their last match as they were narrowly beaten by Canada in a friendly.
Defender Derek Cornelius scored the only goal of the game just before half-time.
Wales had more shots on target (three to two), more possession (63 per cent to 37 per cent), with more passes and pass accuracy, but couldn't make it count in both penalty areas.
They did however beat Kazakhstan 1-0 away from home in a World Cup qualifier five days prior, Kieffer Moore scoring a first-half winner.
Advertisement
It's been the perfect start in terms of points for England in World Cup qualifying Group K.
They sit top of the pile with 15 from a possible 15 after five wins from five, having scored 13 and conceded none.
Despite that thumping, Serbia are in a good position to secure the runner-up spot and will overtake second-placed Albania with a win in their game in hand.
Latvia and Andorra are very likely out of contention.
What followed Kane's opener against Serbia was the greatest single moment of the Tuchel era so far. It was a goal that immediately made sense of everything Tuchel had been trying to do.
Anderson had up the ball in midfield and wasted no time passing it forward to Rogers. Without appearing to look, Rogers flicked the ball round the corner, straight into the path of Madueke running in behind from the right.
In full flight, Madueke swerved in front of Strahinja Pavlovic, daring the Serbia defender to take him down and then lifted the ball over Dorde Petrovic before Kosta Nedeljkovic could stop him.
It was a brilliant goal: not just for the quality, not just for the high stakes, but for how it seemed to encapsulate what Tuchel wanted from England. It was direct, purposeful, imaginative, efficient.
These are qualities we have not seen from England for some time. It is clear that Tuchel has some sharp ideas and the buy-in from the players to make them work. They finally look like a real team.
They finally have lift-off.
In England's most recent match, a stunning 5-0 win against Serbia on September 9, everything finally clicked.
Harry Kane and then Noni Madueke scored inside three minutes, the latter a brilliant run and finish, before Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi, plus Marcus Rashford from the penalty spot, made it a near-perfect outing for the visitors.
Their toughest rivals in World Cup qualifying dispatched away from home with minimum fuss.
Wales have a handful of important players missing from their squad for this international break.
Veteran midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who plays for Mexican side UNAM, is out injured, with Leeds winger Daniel James also out with an ankle knock.
Cardiff team-mates Isaak Davies and Rubin Colwill have been added to the squad, with Rubin joining younger brother Joel, who also plays for the side in the Welsh capital, in the playing group.
Goalkeepers: Karl Darlow (Leeds), Adam Davies (Sheffield United), Tom King (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
Defenders: Ben Cabango (Swansea), Jay Dasilva (Coventry), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Ronan Kpakio, Dylan Lawlor (both Cardiff), Chris Mepham (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Rodon (Leeds), Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest).
Midfielders: Ethan Ampadu (Leeds), David Brooks (Bournemouth), Joel Colwill, Rubin Colwill (both Cardiff), Jordan James (Leicester), Josh Sheehan (Bolton), Sorba Thomas (Stoke), Harry Wilson (Fulham).
Forwards: Nathan Broadhead (Wrexham), Liam Cullen (Swansea), Isaak Davies (Cardiff), Mark Harris (Oxford), Lewis Koumas (Birmingham), Brennan Johnson (Tottenham), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham).
Advertisement
Maybe it's not a surprise there are a few high-profile players missing out. After all, the dominant themes of this England squad selection, announced at Wembley on Friday morning, were loyalty and continuity. He said:
💬 “Are there players out who deserve to be with us? Yes, for sure. Is there a way back into the team through performance? 100 per cent, for sure.
“But at the moment, we think this is the best and most straightforward decision. Like I said last camp, the competition is on to be in the squad. That still stands.
“What are we doing if a player like Jude is injured before the World Cup? Do we then cancel? Do we not travel? This is a team sport. We have to find solutions.
“This is more about the last camp and what we started to build, than about the dependence on individual players.”
This England squad is arguably defined by its conspicuous absences as much as its inclusions.
Jack Grealish, who joined Everton on loan after being frozen out at Manchester City, has started very well, with our very own Patrick Boyland saying he has ‘allowed Everton to dream again’.
Trevoh Chalobah has come in and out, the midfield exclusions of Curtis Jones and especially Adam Wharton appear mystifying, and Phil Foden is out despite returning to form for Manchester City.
While Morgans Rogers and Gibbs-White have been poor for Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest respectively but retain their places. And don't get Tim Spiers started on Jude Bellingham being left out…
✍️ Jude Bellingham, one of England's most gifted young footballers, has been left out of the squad and it’s a completely normal situation. Is there a problem with the player? Absolutely not! Nothing to see here.
Tuchel, famed for not falling out with any star players at the clubs he’s managed, said: “We decided to keep with the straightforward decision of inviting the same group.”
It might be an idea to practice with your best players? Actually, no wait, Brazil used to leave out Pele all the time. Deserves to be there? Check. Not there? Check. You’ve got to hand it to the guy, it’s an original notion.
Much of the criticism of Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad will be aimed at the omission of Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, particularly when Brentford’s Jordan Henderson is included at the age of 35.
The 85-cap Henderson does have international experience but the German manager must surely have one eye on blooding Wharton with qualification for the 2026 World Cup all but confirmed.
Elliot Anderson did impress on his debut outing in Belgrade but Wharton’s exclusion is still startling, as is that of Jack Grealish, who has started the season well with Everton, alongside Phil Foden at Manchester City.
Jude Bellingham being absent is perhaps more understandable given his recovery from a shoulder injury and with Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke both injured England still maintain an embarrassment of riches going forward.
England's squad for games with Wales and Latvia has no places for Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham, or for Manchester City attacking midfielders Phil Foden, or Jack Grealish (on loan at Everton) despite strong form.
Bellingham, 22, has only just returned to full fitness after undergoing shoulder surgery following the Club World Cup and only has one start this season. He was named England’s men’s player of the year on Thursday.
Bukayo Saka has returned to the group after missing the September camp with injury, but both Arsenal team-mate Noni Madueke and Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento are sidelined and missing.
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur), John Stones (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White (both Nottingham Forest), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (AC Milan), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, on loan from Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
Advertisement
We want to hear from you on The Athletic.
How important is this international friendly really? What was Thomas Tuchel's worst call in naming his latest squad? And what would constitute a good result for England, and Wales?
Let us know your thoughts! Email us at live@theathletic.com and we'll get the best of what we receive in our live coverage.
The Athletic is the best place to be for all sports fans.
In the soccer, the Premier League will continue after this international break with AFCON following before the end of the year, while across the pond the basketball season is fast approaching.
Plus there is coverage of NFL, college football and plenty beyond.
You can follow all of that — and so much more — right here.
Subscribe on an exclusive offer here.
Wembley Stadium, London
Nestled in the north-west of the English capital city, the current Wembley opened in 2007 on the site of the old stadium, which had stood from 1923 to 2003.
It holds 90,000 people, making it the biggest ground in the UK and the second-largest in Europe after Barcelona's Camp Nou.
It will be rocking tonight as the famously loud and proud Welshmen descend on the home of English football.
