England vs Ghana Confirmed Lineups & Formations: Predictions for World Cup 2026 Group L

Chris Beck

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England vs Ghana Confirmed Lineups & Formations: Predictions for World Cup 2026 Group L

England vs Ghana Confirmed Lineups & Formations — World Cup 2026 Group L | FanDuel

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🚨 OFFICIAL CONFIRMED LINEUPS — TEAM SHEETS SUBMITTED TO FIFA

FIFA World Cup 2026 · Group L · Matchday 2 · Confirmed Starting XIs & Formations · All Odds FanDuel Sportsbook

England vs Ghana: Confirmed Lineups & Formations

TWO CHANGES: Guehi IN (replaces Stones) · Spence IN (replaces O'Reilly) · Bellingham 50th cap tonight · Kane can break Lineker record · Ghana: Asare GK · Partey returns · Semenyo starts

Tuesday June 23, 2026 · Kickoff 4:00 PM ET · Gillette Stadium Foxborough MA · All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook · Must be 21+

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

England ML

-475

England -1.5

-166

Over 2.5

-178

🇬🇭

Ghana ML

+1300

✅ OFFICIAL CONFIRMED — TWO CHANGES FROM CROATIA · SOURCE: ENGLANDFOOTBALL.COM

England Football (official): "Thomas Tuchel has made two changes to his England line-up for the Three Lions' second World Cup group stage game against Ghana. The changes both come in defence: Marc Guéhi coming into central defence to replace John Stones while Djed Spence starts in place of Nico O'Reilly." A victory will seal England's qualification for the Round of 32.

🏆 Bellingham 50th cap tonight — youngest player ever in England men's history (22y 359d) · ⚡ Kane one goal from breaking Lineker WC record · 📊 Anderson: 9.6 possessions won per 90 — double any other England player under Tuchel

⭐ England -1.5 -166 · Guehi upgrade confirmed · CBS Brad Thomas primary pick 💎 Bellingham 50th cap ~+240 anytime · Kane first goal ~+250 · Madueke ~+310 · Semenyo +600 🏟️ Gillette Stadium · Foxborough MA · OUTDOOR · 4PM ET / 20:00 UTC · FOX / Telemundo

🔄 What the Two Defensive Changes Mean

Tuchel has addressed both defensive concerns from the Croatia match with two changes that both come in the back line. Guehi replacing Stones at CB was the expected upgrade — ESPN noted Konsa and Stones "were both culpable for Croatia's goals on matchday one." The Spence call at LB is the bigger tactical surprise — Djed Spence (Tottenham, normally a right-back) gets the nod over O'Reilly, who drops to the bench. With Guehi providing a more reliable aerial presence and Spence offering attacking width from LB, England's defensive setup is meaningfully different from Croatia. The two changes are both defensive — the attacking lineup of Madueke, Bellingham, Gordon and Kane is completely unchanged.

🔄 Two Changes from Croatia — What Tuchel Changed and Why

IN ✅ — Marc Guéhi · CB · Crystal Palace → Man City

England Football confirmed. Replaces Stones. ESPN: "Konsa and Stones were both culpable for Croatia's goals on matchday one." Guehi — arguably England's most reliable CB under the current regime — directly addresses the aerial and positional weaknesses Croatia exploited. Partners Konsa between James and Spence.

OUT ❌ — John Stones · CB · Man City → Bench

Drops to bench after being partially at fault for Croatia's goals. England Football note: "Jordan Pickford and John Stones could both make their 14th World Cup appearance for England in this match — only Peter Shilton (17) has more." Available from the bench if needed.

IN 🚨 — Djed Spence · LB · Tottenham — BIGGER TACTICAL SURPRISE

England Football confirmed: "Djed Spence starts in place of Nico O'Reilly." Most analysts had O'Reilly continuing. Spence — primarily a right-back — starts at LB. His energy and overlapping runs from LB give England width in their build-up on the left. His defensive reliability against Ghana's Nuamah/Semenyo right channel is the key question mark. A surprise that directly affects the Semenyo threat assessment.

OUT ❌ — Nico O'Reilly · LB · Man City → Bench

Drops to bench after starting vs Croatia. Available as a replacement if Spence struggles with the unfamiliar LB role. More defensively solid than Spence in the position, so a potential tactical switch if Ghana exploit the left channel.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England Starting XI — Official Confirmed

Manager: Thomas Tuchel · Formation: 4-2-3-1 · Source: englandfootball.com official (June 23, 2026) · Two changes confirmed — Guehi for Stones · Spence for O'Reilly · Set pieces: Rice (corners) · Anderson (delivery) · Kane (PK taker)

ATTACKING END

H. KANE #9

ST · Bayern Munich · captain · PK

Can break Lineker WC record ⚡

MADUEKE #20

RW · Arsenal

Won PK vs Croatia

BELLINGHAM #10

AM · Real Madrid

50th cap 🏆

GORDON #18

LW · Barcelona

Rashford pressure

ANDERSON #8

CM · Newcastle

9.6 poss won/90

D. RICE #4

CM · Arsenal

Corner delivery · fit ✅

R. JAMES #24

RB · Chelsea

KONSA #2

CB · Aston Villa

GUEHI #6 ✅

CB · replaces Stones

SPENCE #25 🚨

LB · Spurs · surprise

PICKFORD #1

GK · Everton

Set pieces: Rice (corners) · Anderson (delivery) · Kane (PK) · Guehi and Konsa aerial threat from corners

Source: englandfootball.com official confirmed lineup · June 23, 2026

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England Official XI — Player Notes & Milestones

🏆 Jude Bellingham · AM #10 · Real Madrid — 50TH ENGLAND CAP TONIGHT

England Football: "Jude Bellingham could make his 50th appearance for England — aged 22 years and 359 days on the day of the game, he'd be the youngest player in history to reach this milestone for the men's national team." Scored Croatia (47'). ESPN FD: ~+240 anytime / ~+650 first goal. The milestone cap on the world stage elevates his motivation to deliver.

⭐ Harry Kane #9 · ST · Bayern Munich — LINEKER RECORD IN REACH

England Football: "If he scores in this game, he would overtake Gary Lineker (ten) to become England's all-time top scorer in the World Cup." Scored twice vs Croatia (PK + header). 9 goals in last 5 apps. FD: -185 anytime / ~+250 first goal (OddsChecker) / +300 for 2+ (CBS Sutton explicit). The historic record adds to Golden Boot race motivation.

Elliot Anderson #8 · CM · Newcastle — ENGLAND'S POSSESSION MACHINE

England Football confirmed: "Anderson won possession more times than any other player in England 4-2 Croatia (8). Anderson has won possession an average of 9.6 times per 90 in his England career — more than twice as many as any other player during the Thomas Tuchel era (500+ minutes)." The engine room stat behind England's defensive solidity in midfield.

✅ Marc Guehi #6 · CB — CONFIRMED IN, REPLACES STONES

England Football confirmed. Addresses the aerial and positional frailty that allowed Croatia's two first-half goals. England's most reliable CB under Tuchel. Partners Konsa. Directly counters Ghana's set-piece and counter-attacking threats. Also improves England's set-piece attacking threat (Guehi as aerial presence from corners).

🚨 Djed Spence #25 · LB · Tottenham — SURPRISE CONFIRMED STARTER

The tactical surprise of this lineup. Spence — primarily a RB — starts at LB. His energy and direct runs from the left give England width in build-up. The defensive risk: Spence facing Ghana's Semenyo/Nuamah right channel in an unfamiliar position. Key bet impact: Semenyo anytime ~+600 marginally more attractive with Spence at LB vs the more positionally secure O'Reilly. Also a Spence yellow card risk given the position unfamiliarity.

Noni Madueke #20 · RW · Arsenal & Declan Rice #4 · CM · Arsenal

Madueke confirmed at RW — Saka (Achilles) managed on the bench again. Won the penalty vs Croatia that led to Kane's first goal; same Mensah mismatch available today. Rice: "raring to go" after back/hamstring concern vs Croatia; his corner delivery led to Kane's header goal. Both essential to England's attack and set-piece threat respectively.

🪑 England Confirmed Bench — Full Squad

Bukayo Saka #7 (RW, Arsenal) — Achilles managed · Tuchel "ready to go" · enters ~60' · FD +600 anytime Marcus Rashford #11 (LW) — ⚠️ hamstring tightness · scored Croatia (85') off bench · FD +600 · verify availability Nico O'Reilly #3 (LB, Man City) — drops to bench · available if Spence struggles at unfamiliar LB John Stones #5 (CB, Man City) — bench · experienced cover if Guehi/Konsa pick up injury Ollie Watkins #19 (ST) — FD +700 · enters if Kane rested · clinical finisher Ivan Toney #22 (ST) — FD +700 · aerial threat off bench · dart option Morgan Rogers #17 · Kobbie Mainoo #16 · Eberechi Eze #21 · Dan Burn #15 · Jarell Quansah #26 · D. Henderson #13 · J. Henderson #14 · James Trafford #23

🇬🇭 Ghana Starting XI — Predicted Lineup

Manager: Carlos Queiroz · Formation: 4-2-3-1 · Sources: Racing Post/Al Jazeera/SI/Goal.com consensus · ⚠️ Ati-Zigi GK injured → Asare starts · ✅ Partey returns · Semenyo confirmed · Official team sheet due ~3:00 PM ET

ATTACKING END

NUAMAH

AM-R · Lyon

AYEW #9

ST · captain · Leicester

SEMENYO #11

AM-L · Man City ⭐

YIRENKYI

CM · scored vs PAN

PARTEY #5 ✅

CM · Villarreal · returns

SENAYA

RB · Auxerre

ADJETEY

CB · Wolfsburg

OPOKU

CB · Istanbul BSK

MENSAH #14

LB ⚠️ 8 yellows

ASARE #16 ⚠️

GK · replaces injured Ati-Zigi

⚠️ Ati-Zigi (GK) injured HT vs Panama · Asare expected to start · ✅ Partey returns after missing Panama · Semenyo key threat vs Spence

🇬🇭 Ghana Key Notes — Partey Returns, GK Change, Semenyo vs Spence

⚠️ GK uncertainty: Ati-Zigi taken off HT vs Panama. Goal.com: "substitute Benjamin Asare picked up a late knock in stoppage time — the medical staff is working around the clock to assess both shot-stoppers." Asare expected to start. An unknown goalkeeper against England's set-piece quality (Rice corners → Kane headers) marginally enhances England's dead-ball threat. ✅ Thomas Partey returns — Villarreal midfielder missed Panama opener after being denied entry into Canada due to pending UK legal case (which he denies). Cleared to be in the USA. SI: "Thomas Partey is expected to make his first start of this World Cup on Tuesday. The former Arsenal midfielder will likely replace Elisha Owusu, partnering Ghana's match-winner last time out, Caleb Yirenkyi." Partey's return significantly boosts Ghana's midfield control and physicality. 🚨 Semenyo (#11, Man City) vs Spence (#25, Tottenham LB) — the key tactical mismatch. Spence, normally a right-back, starts at LB. Semenyo, described by Bleacher Report as "the most dangerous player on the Ghana roster," will target England's left side throughout. This is Ghana's primary counter-attack route and directly enhances Semenyo ~+600 anytime and the BTS Yes case. Mensah (#14, LB, Auxerre) vs Madueke — Racing Post: "Mensah was booked eight times in 26 Ligue 1 starts and committed 1.4 fouls per 90 minutes." Madueke won the penalty vs Croatia from this exact right-channel matchup. If Mensah fouls Madueke early, Kane converts = England open scoring and Kane breaks Lineker's record simultaneously. The most consequential individual battle of the match.

England Football stat: "Ghana's Jordan Ayew made the most high-intensity pressures of any striker on MD1 of the 2026 World Cup (69)." Ghana's plan — press high, sit compact, and spring Semenyo on the counter — is built around their Man City forward finding space behind England's LB. Spence at LB is the variable that makes this viable.

⚽ How the Confirmed Lineups Affect the Betting Markets

📊 Lineup Impact on Key Markets — What Changes With Guehi In & Spence at LB

✅ Guehi IN → England -1.5 -166 reinforced. Defensive upgrade addresses Croatia frailty.

Guehi replacing the error-prone Stones directly addresses both Croatia goals that came from defensive errors. CBS Brad Thomas's primary pick (England -1.5 -166) is strengthened by this confirmed lineup — a tighter England backline means a more comfortable multi-goal winning margin. The -1.5 case is materially better with Guehi/Konsa vs Stones/Konsa.

🚨 Spence at LB (unfamiliar position) → Semenyo ~+600 slightly upgraded. Win to Nil slightly weaker.

Spence normally plays RB. Starting at LB against Semenyo (Man City) is a genuine mismatch. FOX's Win to Nil primary pick becomes slightly less certain with Spence exposed down England's left. Semenyo anytime at ~+600 is marginally better value with Spence at LB. If Ghana score, it's most likely through this channel. BTS Yes at +140 (not the win-to-nil) benefits most from this Spence news.

🏆 Bellingham 50th cap confirmed → ~+240 anytime / ~+650 first goal more compelling than ever.

England Football made the milestone official: Bellingham is the youngest ever to 50 England caps if he plays today. He scored vs Croatia (47'). The combination of milestone + motivation + "impossible to mark" late runs from midfield makes Bellingham ~+240 the primary confirmed-starter value pick, and ~+650 first goal the value framing for his scorer markets.

⚡ Kane Lineker record available → First goal ~+250 / 2+ goals +300 unchanged but motivated.

England Football: "If he scores in this game, he would overtake Gary Lineker (ten) to become England's all-time top scorer in the World Cup." The confirmed lineup means the Madueke vs Mensah PK route is intact (confirmed starters, unchanged attacking XI). Kane first goal ~+250 and 2+ goals +300 (CBS Sutton explicit) are both reinforced by the historic record context.

Saka and Rashford bench confirmed. Both +600 anytime unchanged.

Bench as expected. Saka (Achilles) confirmed on bench; Rashford (hamstring) confirmed on bench but remains a doubt — verify before placing. Both +600 anytime. Saka virtually guaranteed 30+ mins from ~60'. Rashford only if fit. Odds unchanged from pre-lineup.

💰 Key Odds Reference — FanDuel Sportsbook · All Confirmed Markets

⭐ England -1.5 — CBS primary · Guehi upgrade confirmed · $10→$16.06

-166

🏆 Bellingham anytime — 50th cap confirmed · youngest ever · scored Croatia · $10→$34

~+240

⭐ Kane first goal — ~+250 OddsChecker FD · Lineker record in reach · Madueke PK route

~+250

🐐 Kane 2+ goals — CBS Sutton explicit +300 · 20× this season · $10→$40

+300

💎 Madueke anytime — ~+310 · confirmed RW · Mensah 8 yellows · PK route intact · $10→$41

~+310

💎 Saka bench +600 · Rashford bench +600 (⚠️ verify) · Semenyo +600 (Spence LB = mismatch)

+600

⭐ Over 2.5 Goals — CBS Eimer -178 · England 4-2 Croatia · Guehi upgrade doesn't affect attack

-178

FanDuel Sportsbook — World Cup 2026 Group L · England vs Ghana · 4:00 PM ET · Gillette Stadium Foxborough MA

Bet England vs Ghana — All Markets

England -475 · England -1.5 -166 · Kane 2+ +300 · Bellingham +240 · Madueke +310 · Semenyo +600

Bet Now

Official England lineup via englandfootball.com June 23, 2026 · England: Pickford #1; James #24, Konsa #2, Guehi #6, Spence #25; Anderson #8, Rice #4; Madueke #20, Bellingham #10, Gordon #18; Kane #9 (c) · Two changes confirmed: Guehi replaces Stones · Spence replaces O'Reilly · Ghana predicted lineup: Asare; Senaya, Adjetey, Opoku, Mensah; Yirenkyi, Partey; Nuamah, Ayew, Semenyo (sources: Racing Post / Al Jazeera / SI / Goal.com) · Set pieces: Rice corners · Anderson delivery · Kane PK · All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook · ⚠️ Rashford hamstring — verify availability · Must be 21+ · Play responsibly

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

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