England's Striker Options for the 2026 World Cup-Ranked
Thomas Tuchel's England roster for the 2026 World Cup has, to put it mildly, raised a few eyebrows.
Cole Palmer and Phil Foden were both left out, while veteran Jordan Henderson made the cut. There was also no place for long-time England regular Harry Maguire-a decision both he and his mother publicly made clear they were unhappy with-while Dan Burn earned a surprise ticket to the tournament. Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold's move to Real Madrid appears to have effectively ended his international career for now, with Tuchel instead favoring Tino Livramento, Djed Spence and Reece James.
The German coach's attacking selections have also caused debate, with Tuchel opting to take three out-and-out strikers-one of whom many expected to miss out entirely.
Here, we rank England's strikers heading to the World Cup this summer and break down what each of them can bring to the squad.
Notable Omissions
England are not blessed with depth at striker in quite the same way they are in the No. 10 role, but there were still a few notable attacking omissions from Tuchel's squad-some understandable, others perhaps more surprising.
Tottenham Hotspur's Dominic Solanke missed out following an injury-hit campaign, while Liam Delap was unsurprisingly overlooked after a difficult season at Chelsea that saw him register more yellow cards (four) than Premier League goals (one).
Jarrod Bowen-primarily a winger but also capable of playing through the middle-was perhaps unfortunate not to make the cut, with West Ham United's disappointing season potentially counting against him.
However, the unluckiest omission may have been Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Now at Leeds United, the striker enjoyed his best season in years, recording his second-highest ever Premier League goal tally and helping fire the Whites to safety.
Ultimately, though, his underwhelming cameo in England's friendly draw with Uruguay back in March may have been what cost him a place on the plane.
Now, onto the squad itself.
England's World Cup Strikers-Ranked
3. Ivan Toney
Ivan Toney may now be plying his trade in Saudi Arabia, but that clearly does not bother Tuchel, who named him as the surprise inclusion in England's attacking group.
Some fans have been left confused by the decision, but it is not difficult to see the reasoning. First, Toney scored an impressive 42 goals in all competitions during the 2025-26 season. Regardless of the standard of league, that is still a remarkable return.
Secondly, he is arguably the closest thing England have to a direct Harry Kane replacement in terms of hold-up play, link-up ability, and overall creativity as a center forward.
Third-and perhaps most importantly-penalties. Few players in world soccer are as calm from 12 yards as Toney, and given England's history in shootouts, that could prove invaluable at some stage this summer.
2. Ollie Watkins
Ollie Watkins's World Cup place looked in doubt earlier in the season, with the Aston Villa striker enduring a difficult start to the campaign, scoring just one Premier League goal before December.
Since then, however, he has produced a remarkable turnaround that has made him impossible for Tuchel to ignore. His goals-19 across all competitions before the final Premier League matchday-helped fire Villa into Champions League soccer for next season and secure Europa League success.
His pace and willingness to run in behind will give England a distinct and valuable threat in the final third, offering something different to the other attacking options-particularly when introduced against tiring defenses late in matches.
1. Harry Kane
Harry Kane remains in a league of his own.
England's record goalscorer, captain, and most prolific finisher, he's streets ahead of most strikers worldwide-even if age will inevitably catch up eventually.
Still, Kane is one of the game's best and Tuchel clearly values him, having worked together at Bayern. While the new manager emphasises pressing high and attacking from the front, Kane's role at the tip of the spear is untouchable.
Coming off his best-ever goalscoring season, the stage is set for him to once again lead England's charge and try to take them all the way.
READ MORE ON ENGLAND'S OPTIONS IN EVERY POSITION
- England's Goalkeeper Options-Ranked
- England's Right Backs Options-Ranked
- England's Centre Backs Options-Ranked
- England's Left Backs Options-Ranked
- England's Midfield Options-Ranked
- England's Winger Options-Ranked
This article was originally published on www.si.com as England's Striker Options for the 2026 World Cup-Ranked.
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This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 7:30 AM.