International football has always faced 1 key challenge: turning players who rarely play together into a cohesive team. The best way to do that is to build a strong team identity, allowing players to slot in seamlessly as they come and go. Spain, England’s opponent on Sunday, is a prime example of this approach, as The Athletic has analyzed.
If that can't be achieved, the simplest approach is to let a familiar core play together as often as possible. But England have rarely managed this in recent years. Key attacking positions remain a source of debate, with several strong options available, while questions persist over the deeper midfield roles—a long-standing problem area for England.
Judging by Thursday night’s 2-1 victory over Croatia, England’s midfield and attack are largely settled. The 6 players used against Croatia – Rice, Elliot Anderson, wingers Morgan Rogers and Gordon, and Bellingham alongside Kane – were the same 6 who played in the World Cup semi-final against Argentina. With 18 months to go until the tournament, these 6 are highly likely to feature at the 2028 European Championship on home soil. The longer they play together, the better they will become.
Kane and Bellingham's partnership already resembles that of a true strike duo. Kane is the main striker and Bellingham the attacking midfielder, but they interchange roles seamlessly: Kane drops deep while Bellingham makes surging runs forward. England's opening goal perfectly illustrated this dynamic: Kane dropped deep to distribute the ball, Bellingham surged into the right channel, and Rogers prodded home his cross in a scramble.
At other times, especially during goal kicks, both drop deep, allowing Gordon and Rogers to create space on the flanks. In the 2nd half, Gordon had a cross intended for Rogers blocked. The move not only demonstrated their understanding but also appeared to be an attempt to reverse their roles in the 1st goal conceded in that World Cup semi-final defeat, when Rogers set up Gordon.
In midfield, Rice and Anderson are both versatile players and, unlike similar England pairings in the past, have good chemistry. During the World Cup, Anderson sometimes dropped deep while Rice pushed forward, which seemed the most natural arrangement. At other times, perhaps because of Rice's physical condition, Rice stayed deeper and Anderson advanced. Both setups worked smoothly, with the pair combining well thanks to their familiarity with playing together.
There are other reliable options in these positions, though most are not in the squad. Saka, who is sidelined with a muscle injury, is the strongest candidate to replace Rogers, whose place is currently the least secure. Beyond that, this England side already looks like a cohesive team, at least in attack—a marked contrast to many England squads of the past.
England looked somewhat vulnerable defensively in this game. With Guehi and Ngoyo withdrawing through injury, Dan Burn partnered Jarell Quansah at center-back. Fortunately, both had previously played alongside their respective full-backs, Lewis Hall and Trent Alexander-Arnold, at Newcastle and Liverpool. However, Guehi and Ngoyo are expected to return once fit. Given the importance of chemistry, their return could benefit their respective club teammates, Man City's Nico O'Reilly and Arsenal's Ben White.
Quansah, who was foolishly sent off against Mexico, remains unconvincing. He was also partly responsible for Croatia’s equaliser, but he later won a penalty, which Kane converted in his record-breaking 126th appearance. Burn was as useful as ever in both boxes. Lewis Hall performed well and was England’s best defensive left-back.
On the right, Alexander-Arnold remains a conundrum. There is no doubt about his excellent crossing ability, but his positioning and playing style are unusual, and he often seems out of sync with less familiar teammates. He miscommunicated with Rogers twice on the right flank. On another occasion, Kane played 1 of his trademark through balls, looking for a surging runner, only to find that Alexander-Arnold was not making a run and wanted the ball to his feet. Despite his immense talent, Alexander-Arnold has yet to establish himself at Real Madrid, further highlighting how difficult it can be to integrate him smoothly into a team.
In football, 18 months is a long time, and injuries, fluctuations in form and the emergence of new contenders are all highly likely before Euro 2028. Personally, though, I will be interested to see how Ngoyo, Elliot Anderson, Morgan Rogers and Anthony Gordon adapt following major transfers this summer. England, meanwhile, sees no need to drop underperforming starters in favour of the next generation. The contrast with Croatia is stark: a team that has consistently troubled England in the past now clearly lacks top talent.
England are often accused of overconfidence before major international tournaments—and as co-hosts of Euro 2028, they can expect no shortage of hype. Usually, at this stage, England managers are experimenting with dozens of players, hoping something will fall into place. This time, however, England surprisingly have a clear plan.