The starting gun has been fired.
And who will make it, has shocked a few.
The final 26 won’t be announced until May 22.
But the names understood to have made the long list already tell a story.
Thomas Tuchel submits 55-man England World Cup squad
According to the BBC, Thomas Tuchel has met FIFA’s deadline of midnight Monday to submit his preliminary list, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luke Shaw, Danny Welbeck and Alex Scott all believed to be among those included despite being left out of England’s recent friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.
Their inclusion in the provisional squad doesn’t guarantee a place on the plane.
But it confirms they’re still in the conversation.
Alexander-Arnold’s situation is the most intriguing of the lot.
He appeared to be fighting an uphill battle for selection.
Tuchel had even said last year that Bayer Leverkusen’s Jarrell Quansah was ahead of Alexander-Arnold in the race for that berth.
But circumstances have intervened in his favour.
Ben White suffered a knee injury in Arsenal’s win on Sunday and is now a major doubt for the tournament.
Tino Livramento is currently unavailable, though there is hope he’ll be fit in time.
Reece James has only recently returned from his own injury lay-off.
Suddenly, the right-back position looks far more open than it did just weeks ago.
Shaw’s potential recall is equally compelling.
The Manchester United left-back hasn’t played for England since the Euro 2024 final defeat against Spain.
This season he’s made 36 appearances for his club.
The form and fitness are both there.
Welbeck is the most unlikely name on the list given his age and lack of recent international involvement.
At 35, a World Cup appearance would be a remarkable final chapter.
Tuchel has 55 names.
He needs 26.
And the hardest part is still to come.
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