England are chasing their second World Cup title, exactly 60 years after their triumph in the 1966 World Cup on home soil. Needless to say, the Three Lions have gone through significant growing pains, and their squad looks completely different. During the 2026 World Cup, England will feature a 26-man roster with one notable exception: a player born abroad.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel made headlines across England when confirming the Three Lions’ final 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup. Tuchel made some controversial decisions that left fans wondering why Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold won’t be playing for England at the World Cup.
However, Tuchel did call up Marc Guehi, who has become a staple in the Three Lions’ defense. Moreover, Guehi is the lone player on the roster who was not born in England.
- Marc Guehi: born in Ivory Coast, plays for England.
Guehi’s background
Guehi was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on July 13 of 2000. Guehi’s family relocated to Lewisham, in southeast London, when he was only a toddler. Although he could’ve elected to play for his home country, the Elephants have several players born in France and other countries representing Ivory Coast at the 2026 World Cup
Moreover, all of Guehi’s memories are rooted in England. As Guehi makes his debut at the 2026 World Cup, the naturalized English center back hopes to create more special memories of his own with England’s national team.
Group L’s foreign-born players
England share Group L in the 2026 World Cup with Croatia, Ghana, and Panama. In the category of players born abroad, England are actually third for the most players fitting that criteria among teams in Group L.
England during 2026 World Cup.
The Black Stars and Blazers lead the way, as Ghana have called up eight players born overseas to their squad, and Croatia have the same number of players born abroad representing the country. As for Panama, their 26-man squad is made up entirely of “Canaleros” born in the country.
