Jordan Pickford said his top target is to win the World Cup 2026 after twice coming so close to securing England’s first major men’s trophy in decades.
The goalkeeper played in the finals of Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 when England lost to Italy on penalties and Spain, courtesy of a late goal.
Pickford is encouraged by the appointment of the Champions League-winning manager Thomas Tuchel as England look to end a wait for silverware that dates back to the 1966 World Cup.
“The new manager is going to come in January and he’s a winner,” said Pickford. “Our main target is to get to USA and lift that trophy. Our focus is definitely… because we’ve been so close, we want to go that one step further.”
Pickford hopes the emergence of new players can give England an extra strength in depth.
“You’ve seen a lot of debuts this week over the last three camps,” he added. “There’s definitely new energy and there’s going to be a lot of competition for places.
“But that’s what it’s about. You want the best players for England at the right moment and hopefully going forward next year we’ve got that squad ready to win.”
Pickford drew level with the World Cup winner Gordon Banks on 73 caps after keeping a clean sheet in Sunday’s 5-0 win over Republic of Ireland. It means Peter Shilton, David Seaman and Joe Hart are the only goalkeepers to have played more for England.
“It’s a good achievement [matching Banks] for me,” he said.
He aims to produce the form at club level that will keep him in the team when Tuchel takes over.
“I’ve been No1 for England for seven years now,” he said. “It’s about me keeping focused, keep improving each day at Everton and when it comes round to March, hopefully I’m in top form for the new manager and kicking on.”
