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It's time to settle the debate and pick the greatest England XI of all time! Join us as we select our ultimate starting lineup for the Three Lions, featuring legends of the beautiful game. Plus, we rapid-fire through the must-watch England stars heading into the 2026 World Cup. Do you agree with our picks? Let us know in the comments!
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00:06Welcome to the FIFA World Cup on WatchMojo, and today we're picking an all-time starting
00:1211 for the England national side. Be sure to stick around for the full line-up because
00:17at the end of the video, we'll rapid-fire through the very best players to watch out
00:21for in the 2026 tournament specifically.
00:27Goalkeeper Gordon Banks With 73 England caps to his name, earned between
00:331963 and 1972, Banks was an all-around goalkeeping great. He had exceptional reflexes, perfect
00:41positioning and could pull off miraculous saves. His most famous stop came in the 1970 World
00:47Cup when he performed a sublime scrambling dive to deny Pele's goalbound header. A moment
00:53considered by many to be the greatest save of all time. Banks started every game of
01:00England's 1966 World Cup victory. In general, whenever he played, England usually won, with
01:06his importance perhaps showing clearest of all when, again in 1970, England were eventually
01:12knocked out of the quarter-final stage following a game that Banks missed due to illness.
01:18Left-back Ashley Cole Throughout the 2000s and into the early 2010s,
01:24England football fans watched with hope and expectation as a so-called Golden Generation
01:29came through the ranks. In truth, that Golden Generation never truly delivered meaningful success,
01:35but even so, Ashley Cole remains one key figure who's continually remembered as one of the very best.
01:48He had skills and speed on the left wing, could tackle hard but also pass forward with curing accuracy,
01:55and was renowned as an extremely tough competitor. He's credited with being ahead of his time as well,
02:01with his attacking style a relative rarity back then now being the norm in today's game.
02:07Centre-back Bobby Moore As captain of the famous World Cup winning side in 1966,
02:14Bobby Moore's legacy is unmatched. From the heart of the defence, he claimed two assists in the 66 final
02:20against West Germany, including the crucial pass to Jeff Hurst in the dying seconds to set up his
02:27iconic match-clinching hat-trick goal. Moore's most celebrated moment came four years later though,
02:33in the 1970 World Cup, when he nailed what some claim to be the greatest tackle ever made,
02:39stealing the ball from the Brazilian winger, Jairzinho. With immaculate composure and a razor-sharp reading
02:45of the game, his great friend and rival Pele once described Moore as the greatest defender he had
02:51ever played against.
02:53Centre-back Rio Ferdinand As another key part of the golden generation in the 2000s,
02:59Ferdinand captured attention through his, at the time, untraditional approach. While English centre-backs
03:05have a long history of being strong, physical, unforgiving players, Ferdinand's game was a little
03:11more elegant. As well as being a good tackler and a dependable defender, Ferdinand was a ball player.
03:18He could pass, he could surge out of defence with the ball at his feet, and at his best,
03:24he had unflappable composure. Alongside all of that, Rio was an undisputed leader on the field,
03:30and a serial winner in club football. When he first came onto the scene, his style of play was
03:36unusual. But, by the time he'd retired, he'd inspired an all-new blueprint for future players
03:42to follow.
03:44Right-back George Cohen
03:45Sir Alf Ramsey once labelled Cohen as England's greatest ever right-back. The mercurial George
03:52Best also said that Cohen was the best full-back he had ever played against, and both clearly knew
03:59what they were talking about. Cohen's international career was short compared to many others in this
04:04starting eleven. He turned out for England just 37 times in total. But all of those appearances
04:10were made between the years 1964 and 1967, meaning that Cohen was a crucial player during England's
04:18most successful ever period. His World Cup win was, somewhat bizarrely, the only major medal he ever
04:25earned, for club or country. But Cohen's impact on England at the time was huge.
04:31Left midfield, John Barnes
04:34All great teams need one or two standout flair players, and John Barnes had skill in abundance.
04:41He was an electrifying talent celebrated for his creativity, dribbling prowess, and footballing
04:47intelligence. Barnes played predominantly on the left, but was arguably best when he was given free
04:53rain to float inside, where his unpredictability bamboozled opposing defenders. Representing England
05:00in the 80s and early 90s, all while emerging as a key player for Liverpool, Barnes was the
05:06type of footballer to get the crowd off their seats. Even during a dull game, he could always
05:11be relied upon to provide a spark, a piece of skill, to light up the stadium. And of course,
05:17this guy could rap as well.
05:27Centre midfield, Bobby Charlton
05:30Charlton was another vital, gifted component in Sir Alf Ramsey's victorious 1966 side. He
05:37was England's attacking flair, achieving that rare combination of being able to pass and
05:42shoot with sublime accuracy, and when he needed it, with devastating power. As with Bobby Moore,
05:49Charlton is also particularly remembered for his humility off the pitch, just as much for
05:54his dogged determination and competitiveness on it. Of course, Charlton is also a club legend
06:00at Manchester United, one of the Busby Babes, and a survivor of the Munich air disaster. For
06:06many, he may just be the single greatest English player of all time.
06:10Centre midfield, Steven Gerrard
06:13In his prime, Gerrard could seemingly do it all. He was a gifted passer, he had an incredible,
06:25often unstoppable shot, and his immense endurance enabled him to become one of the best box-to-box
06:32midfielders of his era. For England, Gerrard was something of an enigma, and there was constant
06:38debate as to exactly how to get the best out of him, particularly in a side that also included
06:44another great at the time, Frank Lampard. Above all of the skill and talent, though, Gerrard
06:50is probably most remembered as a die-hard leader on the pitch. He led by example, and the players
06:55followed, knowing that he was clearly an all-time great.
06:59Right midfield, Stanley Matthews
07:02Over an immense England playing career that spanned from 1934 to 1957, Stanley Matthews
07:09became one of the first truly global footballing stars. In 1956, while playing for Blackpool,
07:16he was crowned the first-ever winner of the Ballon d'Or, beating the Real Madrid great Alfredo
07:21Di Stefano to the prized individual title. He was world-renowned for his skill and poise on
07:27the ball, and was known as the wizard of dribble. He's also noted for taking an exceptionally
07:33professional approach to the game, with a disciplined diet and health regime, even in
07:38an era where there was less scrutiny about what players ate and drank. As he ran defenders
07:43down the right wing, Matthews had magic in his boots.
07:47Attacking midfield, Paul Gascoigne For an England fan, the 1990s had more highs and
07:53lows than perhaps any other era. And at the heart of most of it was Paul Gascoigne, a.k.a.
08:00Gaza. A maverick on and off the pitch, Gascoigne is widely held to be one of the most naturally
08:06talented English players of all time. His tears in the 1990 semi-final provided an iconic image.
08:13His legendary goal against Scotland in Euro 1996, followed by an infamous celebration, cemented
08:19Gascoigne's hero status. During his career and after he finished playing, his story has sadly
08:33long been overshadowed by well-publicized off-the-field problems. But out there on the grass, he was
08:39arguably, at one time, the most exciting player in the world.
08:43Forward, Wayne Rooney Like Gascoigne before him,
08:47Rooney was a true generational talent. He broke onto the scene in the Premier League at just 16 years
08:53old, with an iconic long-range goal for Everton against Arsenal. After which, he quickly rose to
09:08become first name on the team sheet for the England senior side. In truth, at international level,
09:14Rooney was another leading light in the golden generation that ultimately failed to win for
09:19England. But even so, Rooney was the first player to finally break Bobby Charlton's decades-long goal
09:25scoring record, when he netted for the 50th time in September 2015. By the end of his career,
09:32Rooney had scored 53 England goals in total. And finally, to round our side off, we know there are
09:39plenty of other players who could have made the cut, so here are 9 more greats to make up the
09:45subs bench.
09:46Peter Shilton
09:47He made 125 appearances for England, becoming an ever-present between the sticks.
09:53John Terry, a club legend at Chelsea and one of the most decorated centre-backs of all time.
09:59Stuart Pearce
10:00Affectionately known as Psycho, Pearce was a no-nonsense defender who wore his heart on his sleeve.
10:07Billy Wright, he was the first ever player in world football to earn 100 international caps.
10:13Frank Lampard, an engine in midfield and a master at arriving late in the box to score
10:20vital goals. David Beckham, probably the most famous England footballer of all time,
10:26Beckham served up countless iconic moments. Nobby Stiles, he played every minute of the 1966
10:33World Cup campaign at the heart of the action in midfield. Harry Kane, he eclipsed Wayne Rooney
10:39in 2023 to become the England team's all-time leading scorer. Jimmy Greaves, no one has scored
10:47more club goals than Greaves in English top flight football. So, those are the greatest of all time,
10:53but how about right now? Who are the England players you need to know before World Cup 2026 kicks off
11:00in
11:00America, Mexico and Canada? Jude Bellingham, from Birmingham City to Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid
11:08and all before he turned 20 years old.
11:16In sports, there are meteoric rises and then there's Jude Bellingham. He's known for driving the game
11:22forward for never shying away from the ball and for routinely pulling something out of the very top
11:27draw, just when his team really needs it. Nico O'Reilly
11:32After a stellar breakthrough season with Manchester City, including a game-winning performance in the
11:38League Cup Final, O'Reilly has quickly become one of England's most exciting players.
11:51He's listed as left-back on the team sheet, but he's a sure bet for goals and assists from defence.
11:57This is his first major senior tournament and odds are he'll shine.
12:10Morgan Rodgers
12:12Fresh off of scoring Aston Villa's third goal in the Europa League Final, Rodgers is a clear favourite
12:18with England manager Thomas Tushel. And it's easy to see why he's a fast, aggressive, direct attacker,
12:25always ready to turn on the ball and make things happen.
12:36If England go far, Morgan Rodgers will be a key driving force in their success.
12:43Bukayo Saka
12:51At his best, Arsenal's star boy can run wings around any full-back. He's fast, nimble,
12:57and deceptively strong, which has all combined to turn him into a crucial player for his club
13:02and national side. Saka has a penchant for scoring eye-catching statement goals as well,
13:08so watch this space. Harry Kane
13:14As current England captain, Kane ranks as one of the best and most clinical strikers on the planet
13:20today. He was a talismanic figure at Tottenham Hotspur, and now he does the business at Bayern
13:32Munich. For England, he's Mr. Reliable, and an almost certainty for goals. In the future,
13:38he'll surely be remembered as one of his country's greatest ever.
13:46So, what's your prediction for England at the World Cup? Who's your favourite player from now
13:51or from history? Let us know your thoughts in those comments below!
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