Lee Carsley declares England have the talent to WIN the World Cup in 2026

Lee Carsley believes his England side can win the World Cup but warns new head coach Thomas Tuchel he may have to drop some stars.

Sunday's 5-0 win over Ireland was Carsley's last win before Tuchel takes charge on January 1, leaving the interim head coach with a legacy of blooding some of the country's most exciting young talents. But the 50-year-old says Tuchel may have some tough decisions ahead.

The interim boss discovered to his cost during the shock defeat to Greece last month, the only defeat of his six-match reign, that putting his best attacking players in the starting XI can be a recipe for disaster.

That evening, Carsley named Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer in his team. Harry Kane, Jack Grealish, Anthony Gordon, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze and Jarrod Bowen are also vying for roles.

“There's competition for places,” Carsley said. “The best chance we have of winning is, if we can, finding it [all the big names] a place [in the team]. You saw the match against Greece at home, I tried that [and we lost]. So it is a challenge.

“It needs work. It's one thing you don't get at the international camps: time. So we just have to find that balance. Many international coaches at a UEFA event I went to said: 'You have a lot of good players', as if that is a negative thing.

“If they're all on form at exactly the same time it's a challenge, but players come in and out of form and it gets them into the team when they're flying and rested when they're not.”

If that balance is found, Carsley is confident success will follow. “We are in a good position to do that (win the World Cup),” he said.

'We have the talent to do it. “I've been fortunate now to have been at the last few World Cups and to have the timing of the players being physically and mentally in shape, at the right time, and picking the right team… We have all the tools.”

Of his young players, Carsley said: “They have absolutely earned the right to be there. The main thing you notice about these young players is their mentality. Any challenge you throw at them isn't so big that they can't meet it. Thomas' player pool has increased so we have left the squad in a fantastic position.”