How England could line up at World Cup 2026 with no Kane, will Southgate stay

ENGLAND could make big changes for the 2026 World Cup - including replacing Gareth Southgate.

The Three Lions fell agonisingly short of a trophy once again and for some stars it may have been their last shot at silverware.

England begin their World Cup qualifying campaign in March 2025, with the Nations League taking place in theautumn.

Ireland are England's next opponents in that competition and there could be some new faces in the team in Dublin.

The likes of Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier could be phased out of the squad, as they will be 36 and 35 respectively by the time the World Cup rolls around.

Harry Kane will be 32 and his future is up for debate, with Gary Lineker pointing out his legs may have gone after he failed to live up to his usual high standards at the Euros.

The England captain won the Golden Boot alongside five other players but he had no impact in the final, making just 13 touches.

Lineker raised doubts over whether Kane will continue for England, revealing he decided to call it quits at a similar age as he felt his legs had gone.

The presenter said: "Part of [looking to] the future in my mind was what England do, what does Harry Kane do? He was not himself in this tournament.

"He's in his 30s now. When I was 30, 31, my legs started to go.

"I retired from international football at 32. At 31 that was happening [legs going] and it's horrible, it's horrible.

"Maybe he was just tired or carrying a little something that affected him and that [his legs going] might not be the case.

"But I wonder. What is he, coming up to 31 now? That's exactly the time when I started to feel that way."

If Kane makes way Ollie Watkins would be the obvious replacement after his semi-final heroics, while Ivan Toney is another option.

Much like Watkins, Cole Palmer took his opportunity well throughout the tournament and scored a brilliant goal in the final - that combined with his club form could make him a mainstay in the team for years to come.

The World Cup could also see the emergence of other young players such as Adam Wharton, Anthony Gordon and Jarrad Branthwaite.

The trio will look to follow in the footsteps of Kobbie Mainoo who made himself a key player for Southgate at the Euros.

Mainoo is another who could play for England at multiple tournaments, according to Jack Wilshere, who also expects Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Palmer to feature in the USA.

While there could also be room for newcomers such as Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones, both of whom came close to making the Euros squad after performing well for Liverpool.

The World Cup squad will very much depend on whether Southgate will stay on as manager, with the expectation that he will step down after losing successive Euros finals.

He said post-match: "I think England are in a really good position in terms of the experiences they've got now.

"The age of the squad.

"Most of this squad are going to be around not only for the World Cup but the next Euros as well.

"There's a lot to look forward to but this moment is not any consolation."