FM26 Predicts the England Squad in 10 Years

There’s nothing more fun than predicting the England squad in the future. I’ve always loved looking at ones by other outlets. Some of them done in the past have been weirdly prophetic – but on the whole they include some absolutely mental shouts that have been proven dramatically wrong.

They always inevitably include a player who went on to play in the non-league for half his career. But I’ve decided to throw my hat in the ring. However, I’ll be doing it a bit differently. I’ll be using Football Manager to see who the future of this team is. Looking at wonderkids and potential, in combination with players already playing who’ll make the experienced heads.

Obviously, in real life there will be players none of us have ever heard of who’ll spring out of nowhere and catch us all by surprise. No one could have foreseen Jamie Vardy’s rise to the England team. So obviously I won’t get everything right. But my aim is to get as close as possible. So here is the 26-man-squad, their manager and the starting XI.  

 

Goalkeepers 

 

Jack Porter (27) 

If you’re building an England squad in FM26 and you want a keeper who can realistically end up in the “best in the world” bracket, Porter is the one you should bookmark immediately. He’s one of the standout young English goalkeepers in the game. By 27, he’s in the sweet spot: experienced enough to command his box, young enough that he’s not turning up to tournaments in the medical room for most of it. 

 

Ben Vickery (26) 

The goalkeeper with the highest potential in England currently according to FM Scout and their exhaustive list of wonderkids. 

 

James Trafford (33) 

He probably won’t be starting but each group of goalkeepers needs an experienced head. And goalkeepers don’t age as fast, so he could still do some work on the pitch if required. 

 

 

Defenders

 

Rico Lewis (31) 

Lewis screams “international manager’s dream” in FM terms. Flexible, intelligent, and the type you can move around without the team falling apart. At 31, he’s basically the squad’s Swiss Army knife.

 

Lewis Hall (31) 

Hall’s the left-sided equivalent. There’s a reason he’s consistently mentioned among the better English wide defenders in the game’s ecosystem. And at 31, he’ll have matured even more. Also: left-footed balance matters.

 

Nico O’Reilly (30) 

It feels a bit unfair to put him in defence. He covers there at City, but as you saw at the weekend when he scored two, he can probably play anywhere. So many of the defenders are versatile these days and that’s crucial for an international tournament. 

 

Josh Acheampong (30) 

Another player with great versatility. At 30 he’s in that ideal centre-back age bracket: peak physical, peak decision-making, peak “I’ve seen it all.”

 

Ayden Heaven (29) 

One of the highest potential wonderkid defenders on Football Manager. He has a variable potential on Football Manager, but that variation all happens in the highest band. Alongside JJ Gabriel, he’s one of the wonderkids that Manchester United fans are most excited about. 

 

Myles Lewis-Skelly (28)

I’m losing track of the amount of players England are going to have at this age who are incredibly versatile. It’s a feature of modern football. By this age I would probably expect him to be a midfielder, but I’m going to keep in this age bracket as I need more defenders. 

 

Tino Livramento (33) 

On Football Manager (and real life obviously) – Tino has incredible physical attributes. Great natural fitness, stamina etc. So whilst other players legs might be going at this stage, I back him to be one of the experienced members of the team. 

 

Iago Silva (25) 

Yes, that’s right, Thiago Silva’s son. Made his debut for England Under-15s in February 2026, eligible through residency after moving to England when his dad played for Chelsea. He’s in Chelsea’s youth academy and already playing at youth international level. If he’s anything like his dad, the defence is going to be alright. 

 

 

Midfielders

 

Jude Bellingham (32) 

You need experienced heads in the dressing room and by the age of 32 Jude Bellingham will have seen and experienced it all. 

 

Archie Gray (30) 

He’s played in so many positions for Leeds and Spurs. Although a lot of times he’s seemed out of his depth in the Premier League, it’s because he’s being shoehorned everywhere. When you play him in his normal position in midfield, you’ll see one of the most composed, level-headed midfielders. And any Football Manager player will know about the experience he’s got. By 30 his mentality will be absolutely crucial in the England dressing room. 

 

Max Dowman (26) 

Arsenal attacking midfielder who is progressing rapidly through England age groups and has featured in higher youth levels already. Will be one of the stars of the team at this age if he continues progressing like this. 

 

Lewis Miley (29)

The Newcastle star already has the composure of a player twice his age so will no doubt be a more steady presence in a team full of youth and flair.

 

Rio Ngumoha (27) 

A brilliant cameo against Nottingham Forest at the weekend. It’s no surprise to see Rio in the squad. By the age of 27 he’ll be in his prime and one of England’s best players. 

 

Bukayo Saka (34) 

Bukayo’s game doesn’t rely on blistering pace and Bukayo will be one of the most experienced players in the dressing room. 

 

Adam Wharton (32) 

Intelligent, smart, incredible on the ball. Adam Wharton is a player where physicality won’t matter so much as he’s so good on the ball. Think of him as the modern Paul Scholes and the inspiration to all the young players coming through. 

Luca Williams-Barnett (26) 

One of the England players with the highest potential according to multiple different Football Manager sites. By this age Luca could be absolutely elite. 

 

Kobbie Mainoo (30) 

By this time he’ll be long free of the shackles imposed on him by Ruben Amorim. Don’t be shocked to see him be captain by this age. He should be around the England squad for the next decade and further. It’s easy to forget how young he is these days. 

 

 

Strikers 

 

Kai Rooney (26) 

This one’s a bit more of a punt. But he’s banging in goals for the Man United youth teams and his dads Wayne Rooney. Enough said. 

 

Reigan Heskey (26) 

Plays in Manchester City’s academy; has represented England U17 and scored prolifically at youth level. He’s already recognised as a top youth performer and England youth international. His brother also will play pro football and obviously has a pro footballer dad, it’s in his genes. 

 

Harry Gray (26)

The Gray dynasty doesn’t stop with Archie, oh no. Harry is Leeds United’s most exciting wonderkid and looks like an incredibly exciting prospect. He has bags of confidence and a loan spell at Rotherham will be exactly what he needs to give him a proper work experience. At 26-years-old he’ll be in his prime. 

 

 Mikey Moore (27) 

With Harry Kane stepping down in the next five years, we need a striker who can step up to take his mantle and I think Mikey could be that man. By this age he’ll be an absolute headache for defenders. And if he doesn’t start he’ll be an incredible impact sub.  

 

JJ Gabriel (25) 

If you’ve been on social media you’ll have seen his incredible collection of goals in the Manchester United academy. Manchester United’s most exciting young talent at the moment. 

 

 

Manager

 

Jordan Henderson 

Natural organiser, vocal, big-game experience, already respected inside dressing rooms. He feels built for management. I don’t know about his tactical nous but international management is less about that anyway. 

 

Expected starting XI

GK – Jack Porter 

RB – Rico Lewis

CB – Ayden Heaven

CB – Iago Silva 

LB – Lewis Hall 

DM – Adam Wharton

CM/AM – Max Dowman 

CM – Kobbie Mainoo 

RW – Bukayo Saka 

ST – JJ Gabriel 

LW – Rio Ngumoha 

 

Let me know if you agree/disagree in the comment section! What’s my most outrageous take here?! 

 

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