Bukayo Saka will wear the number 7 shirt for England at this summer’s World Cup in North America, with the Football Association publishing squad numbers on Tuesday that also hint at Thomas Tuchel’s preferred starting line-up.
The Arsenal winger is one of the first names on the team sheet for the Three Lions and heads into the tournament as England’s most consistent attacking threat on the right flank.
Saka will be heading to his fourth major tournament with the national side, having previously featured at Euro 2021, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and Euro 2024.
The 24-year-old arrives at the tournament in good form after a season in which he scored a goal and registered an assist in Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Fulham on the final day of the Premier League campaign.
He was also part of an Arsenal side that won the Premier League title this season, heading into the World Cup with a domestic championship to his name for the first time.
Tuchel has publicly challenged Saka to raise his goals and assists output at international level, and the winger currently holds 14 goals for England ahead of the finals.
Saka’s ability to drive at full-backs, cut inside and deliver in the final third makes him the most dangerous wide player in the squad, with his combination of intelligence and technical quality offering England their best route into the final third.
He scored a fine strike in England’s 2-0 qualifying win over Serbia at Wembley in November, a result that helped seal their place at the tournament with games to spare.
England face Croatia in their opening group game on June 17, with Ghana and Panama completing their fixtures in Group L.
Tuchel is expected to deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Declan Rice as the deepest midfielder, Jude Bellingham operating as the number 10 behind Harry Kane, and Saka starting on the right wing.
The squad numbers suggest Marcus Rashford will start on the left, with the three forwards given the 7, 9, and 11 shirts respectively.
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