“Everyone wants an answer of ‘that’s the reason the Golden Generation didn’t do it’. But nobody knows” Joe Cole on why his England team never met their potential

Wayne Rooney of England is shown Red card and sent off .

As England fans reflect on another major tournament near-miss, the question of where the 2026 World Cup side fits into Three Lions history will no doubt have been a popular pub debate in recent days.

While Thomas Tuchel’s side have been able to call on two of the planet’s very best players in Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, in terms of pure star power, the current England crop lags some way behind the so-called Golden Generation of the 2000s.