England

Harry Kane captains England at his third World Cup, equalling Billy Wright's record (1950, 1954, 1958) — and did it while scoring a record-equalling 36 Bundesliga goals in 2025-26.

Jordan Henderson is appearing at his fourth World Cup, equalling Sir Bobby Charlton's England record.

Thomas Tuchel is England's first German manager and only the third foreign boss after Sven-Göran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.

Marcus Rashford's Barcelona loan — 8 La Liga goals, 7 assists — rescued an international career that was seemingly over after he was dropped for Euro 2024.

Nico O'Reilly, just 21, won both the Premier League Young Player of the Season and Manchester City Player of the Season in 2025-26 — and was called up for his first World Cup.

Before the 1966 World Cup in England, the Jules Rimet trophy was stolen from a London exhibition — and found a week later wrapped in newspaper under a hedge by a dog named Pickles, who became a national hero.

At the 1950 World Cup, mighty England lost 1-0 to a USA side of part-timers in Belo Horizonte — a shock so absurd that legend has it some British newspapers assumed the score was a misprint for 10-1.