Erling Haaland to Michael Olise: All 2026 World Cup stars who were eligible to play for England

Jun 8, 2026 - 13:00

Thomas Tuchel already had a tough job picking his England squad for the World Cup – but it could have been a lot more difficult.

Tuchel left out some big names, such as Harry Maguire, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, from his 26-player list for the tournament.

Jamal Musiala and Jude Bellingham were England teammates at youth level – but are now rivals on the international scene

The Three Lions boss has also continuously omitted Real Madrid’s starting right-back from his squads, and Trent Alexander-Arnold is now among the star players watching the World Cup from home.

Such a decision would have been unthinkable when the likes of Foden and co. were the highest-rated young talents around as teenagers.

Ironically, there are now over 20 players who were born in England, making them eligible to feature for the Three Lions, who will now be hoping to stand between Tuchel’s men and World Cup glory.

England players who could have played for a different nation

Cole Palmer – St. Kitts and Nevis

Curtis Jones – Nigeria

Jude Bellingham – Republic of Ireland

Bukayo Saka – Nigeria

Harry Kane – Republic of Ireland

Anthony Gordon – Scotland and the Republic of Ireland

Kobbie Mainoo – Ghana

Trent Alexander-Arnold – United States

Marc Guehi – Ivory Coast

Eberechi Eze – Nigeria

Noni Madueke – Nigeria

Elliot Anderson – Scotland

Jarell Quansah – Scotland, Ghana, and Barbados

Ezri Konsa – DR Congo, Angola, and Portugal

Nico O’Reilly – Jamaica

Djed Spence – Jamaica and Kenya

Tino Livramento – Scotland and Portugal

Reece James – Grenada and Dominica

Ivan Toney – Jamaica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Michael Olise – France

Arguably, the chief one who got away for England – especially considering his connection at Bayern Munich with Harry Kane.

Olise, who was born and raised in London, still retains his Hammersmith accent despite becoming France’s new talisman.

The 24-year-old spent time at Chelsea’s academy and was then developed in the EFL system with Reading before emerging as a Premier League superstar alongside Eberechi Eze at Crystal Palace.

It was there that Olise made his name for both his skills on the pitch and his nonchalant nature off it – and has since gone from strength to strength following his £60million move to Bayern in 2024.

That same year, the White City, west London-born attacker made his senior France debut and explained why in typical Olise fashion.

“I have always had a connection with the France national team, that is why I play for France.”

Michael Olise of FC Bayern München and Harry Kane of FC Bayern München gestures during the Bundesliga match between VfL Wolfsburg and FC Bayern München — Olise scored 22 goals and registered 31 assists in all competitions for Bayern this season

Daniel Jebbison – Canada

The 22-year-old would not have made England’s squad, having scored just six goals in 38 Championship appearances this season.

However, the Bournemouth striker, who was on loan at Preston North End, will hope to be playing for one of the three World Cup hosts.

Jebbison, who was born in Ontario, was included in England’s U20 World Cup squad in 2023 alongside Jarell Quansah and Liam Delap.

But the 13-cap England youth international switched allegiance to Canada last year and was included in their squad for the March break.

Preston North End's Daniel Jebbison during the Sky Bet Championship match between Preston North End and Southampton — Jebbison is pushing to impress former Leeds head coach Jesse Marsch

Carney Chukwuemeka – Austria

Jebbison’s England U20 World Cup teammate will also be at FIFA’s senior tournament this summer, but again, for a different nation.

Chukwuemeka, who was capped by the Young Lions at Under-17, U18, U19 and U20 levels, declared for Austria earlier this year.

The Borussia Dortmund playmaker is a name more than familiar to Tuchel, having been signed by the England boss at Chelsea in 2022.

The 22-year-old was born to Nigerian parents in the Austrian city of Eisenstadt before growing up in Northampton.

Chukwuemeka, who has two Bundesliga goals this season, made his senior international debut under Ralf Rangnick in March.

Carney Chukwuemeka of England looks on during an International Friendly match between England U20 and France U20 — Chukwuemeka is set to feature for Austria at the World Cup instead of England

Antonee Robinson – USMNT

Mauricio Pochettino will be deploying several first-team stars who were eligible to play for England in the USA’s squad this summer.

One of whom was born in New York and the other in Milton Keynes, and yet curiously, it’s the former who played for the Young Lions.

Ex-Arsenal talent Folarin Balogun, who moved to London as a child from Brooklyn, scored seven goals in 13 games for England’s U21s.

The 24-year-old has since earned 25 caps for the USMNT since switching international allegiance in 2023, the year he joined Monaco.

Folarin Balogun in action for USMNT — Balogun is pushing to lead the line for the USMNT at their home World Cup

Fulham defender Robinson, meanwhile, was born in England to an English-born father, Marlon, and came through Everton’s academy.

But his dad was subsequently raised in New York and is now a US citizen, and the left-back snubbed the Three Lions at Under-21 level in 2018 in favour of playing for the United States senior side.

“It just wasn’t even a decision,” Robinson told GOAL. “I was just like, ‘It’s clear to me which country showed more faith in me.’

“Not only picking me at the youth level, but picking me for the first team, so I had to show that commitment right back.”

Antonee Robinson of Fulham — Robinson made 22 Premier League appearances for Fulham this season

Antoine Semenyo – Ghana

Two-thirds of Manchester City’s current three-pronged strikeforce was born in England – but neither are available for the Three Lions.

The first of which, Semenyo, who was born in Chelsea to Ghanaian parents, will face off against the country of his birth this summer.

“I was never in the England rankings like that anyway,” the former Bristol City and Bournemouth winger told In The Mixer.

“Ghana came [when I was] 20, 21? And I can’t turn down playing first team for Ghana, so it was such an easy decision.”

Antoine Semenyo for Manchester City. — Semenyo has shone since his January move to Manchester City

On his first Ghana cap in May 2022, Semenyo added: “My dad was so happy, celebrating. He was like, ‘Yeah, you don’t play for England!’

“Everyone in my family was so happy. They support Ghana…I couldn’t even tell you. They watch games, and it’s crazy. Shouting, kicking stuff in the house. It’s serious.”

Semenyo was joined in the Black Stars squad in March by fellow EFL alumni Agyei, who scored five goals in the Turkish Super Lig this year, but the 29-year-old failed to make the plane to the World Cup.

Ex-England U21 star Tariq Lamptey would have also made the cut, had the former Brighton man not sustained an ACL injury at Fiorentina.

But Jerome Opoku, who was born in Lambeth and came through the ranks at Fulham, is involved after starring for Istanbul Basaksehir.

So too is Coventry City forward and Milton Keynes native Brandon Thomas-Asante, who has played all of his senior career in England.

Antoine Semenyo in action for Ghana — Semenyo could haunt England in Ghana’s Group L encounter with the Three Lions

Erling Haaland – Norway

The most famous and widely known name on this list goes to Semenyo’s Man City teammate and Premier League Golden Boot rival.

Haaland was born in Leeds in 2000, as his father, Alf-Inge Haaland, had only just left Elland Road to join Man City.

As a result, the 25-year-old was eligible to play for England – but there was never a danger of a selection headache with Harry Kane.

“I lived here [England] for three-and-a-half-to-four years, and I lived in Norway for such a long time, so then it was natural for me to choose Norway,” Haaland told GOAL.

“You never know how it would be if maybe my father played longer in England or whatever. Maybe I would be English, I don’t know. But yeah, I’m Norwegian, and I’m proud of it.”

Erling Braut Haaland of Bryne FK — Haaland was highly regarded across Europe from his teenage years in Norway

Tuchel’s predecessor, Gareth Southgate, also confirmed in 2020 that Haaland was always unlikely to represent his country of birth.

He said: “We’re always trying to monitor those cases, but I think in that instance he was tied up pretty early by Norway.

“And I think also, with players like him, they’re quite clear where they want to play as well.

“He feels that allegiance to the country that he’s playing for now, and you’re always very respectful of that.”

Erling Haaland of Norway — Haaland will make his first appearance at the World Cup finals this summer

Scott McTominay – Scotland

The Napoli superstar’s stunning overhead kick sent the Tartan Army to their first World Cup in 28 years.

And if that wasn’t enough to make McTominay a universal hero among Scottish fans, he also rejected the chance to play for England.

The Manchester United academy graduate was born in Lancaster but has a Scottish father and thus headed north of the border.

Speaking about his decision upon his first call-up in 2018, McTominay said: “I wanted to play for Scotland — and I always have done, since I was a young boy, so it was an incredibly proud moment when he [Scotland manager Alex McLeish] did call me up.”

His grandfather even admitted that same year that Man United icon Sir Alex Ferguson also played his part in him choosing Scotland.

“Sir Alex Ferguson was keen for Scott to play for Scotland as well,” Frank McTominay told the National.

“He was up front about it. I know that for a fact. I can say that without fear of getting contradicted. That has been kept under wraps. He and Jose Mourinho were both quite keen on it over the last month or two.”

Scott McTominay scores a bicycle kick for Scotland — McTominay’s stunning bicycle kick got the ball rolling for Scotland in their win over Denmark that sealed qualification

Jamal Musiala – Germany

Someone Tuchel knows very well from his time at Bayern Munich, and perhaps the Three Lions’ biggest case of ‘What If?’

Musiala, who was born in Stuttgart, represented England from Under-15 level, all the way through to the Under-21s.

His mother is a German native, while his father is British-Nigerian, and the playmaker was raised in London from the age of seven.

But the 23-year-old’s switch to Bayern from Chelsea’s academy as a teen set the groundwork for Germany’s senior pros to lure him away.

“I have a heart for Germany and a heart for England, both hearts will continue to beat – I’ve thought a lot about this question,” Musiala told Sportschau upon his international switch in 2021.

“In the end, I listened to my feelings saying it’s the right decision to play for Germany. But it wasn’t an easy decision for me.”

Three years later, Musiala linked up with England captain Kane at club level, who joked he could have kept him playing for the Three Lions had they linked up earlier in his career.

Kane told ITV: “I joke a bit with Jamal Musiala about him choosing Germany over England. Obviously, he could have played for England.

“But maybe if I were here a few years ago, I could’ve put my arm around his shoulder and got him for us. But Jamal is a great player.”