England will go to the 2026 World Cup with plenty of options at left back.
Under Gareth Southgate, the left side of defense was often a problem area—Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell were the primary options, but both were frequently disrupted by injury. By contrast, Thomas Tuchel heads into his first tournament as England manager with no fewer than four players capable of playing at left back.
In truth, he could have selected as many as eight, but that would likely have raised even more eyebrows than his already debated World Cup squad.
Here, we take a look at England’s left back options for the 2026 World Cup and assess what each of them can bring to the side.
Notable Omissions
Tuchel was spoiled for choice at left back, meaning there were always going to be a few notable omissions.
The remarkable rise of Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly has somewhat stalled this season despite the club winning the Premier League title, with his minutes more limited than expected, so his exclusion came as little surprise.
The omissions of Lewis Hall and Shaw, however, were more unexpected.
Hall has been one of England’s standout left backs during the 2025-26 season, but evidently did not do enough in the March friendlies to convince Tuchel. Shaw, meanwhile—a veteran international who could have offered valuable tournament experience—has been a key figure for Manchester United this season, playing an important role as they secured a third-place finish while, crucially, staying fit.
As for his exclusion, it may come down to his limited attacking output, with Tuchel preferring fullbacks who can consistently push forward and contribute in the final third—or simply concerns that Shaw’s injury record still represents too much of a risk at tournament level.
England’s 2026 World Cup Left Backs—Ranked
4. Dan Burn
Before you bite our head off, we know Dan Burn is primarily a center back—but he has covered admirably for Newcastle United this season at left back when injuries have struck.
He’s not the type to go gallivanting forward and whip crosses into the box, and it’s extremely unlikely he will be used there this summer, but as an emergency option, he offers a solid and dependable alternative if needed.
3. Tino Livramento
Tino Livramento is naturally a right back, but spent a good chunk of the 2024–25 season covering at left back for the injured Lewis Hall—and did so as if he had been playing there his whole career.
Comfortable with both feet and confident cutting inside in the final third, the former Chelsea youngster is a classy operator on either flank. However, his struggles with multiple injuries this season—having missed most of the campaign—mean Tuchel will no doubt manage his minutes carefully and use him with caution.
2. Djed Spence
Not long ago, Djed Spence wouldn’t have even been part of this conversation.
But during the second half of the 2024–25 season, he emerged as a standout performer for Tottenham, excelling at left back (and occasionally right back). Spence proved himself as a two-way operator—solid defensively against the best attackers, while offering real quality and composure on the ball going forward.
Still, Tottenham’s difficult 2025–26 campaign, combined with reduced minutes as the season progressed and managerial changes, led many to believe he would miss out on the World Cup. However, Tuchel was unequivocal about why he ultimately included him.
“He loves defending, he’s the fastest player in our squad, and he loves defending one-v-one. That’s what makes him a special fullback for us. He can play both sides,” said the German.
1. Nico O’Reilly
We would be extremely surprised if Nick O’Reilly does not get a starting berth at left back for England this summer.
The youngster has been one of Manchester City’s standout performers this season, scoring an impressive nine goals—including both goals in the 2–0 EFL Cup final win over Arsenal—across all competitions, while also contributing a glut of assists and remaining solid defensively.
He also fits Tuchel’s profile perfectly: versatile enough to operate in midfield, eager to get forward and possessing the kind of aggression and intensity the German coach values highly.
