Madueke backs England's squad depth as the 'crucial' edge at the 2026 World Cup

Noni Madueke has identified England’s squad depth as the quality most likely to determine their fate at the 2026 World Cup, as Thomas Tuchel’s side prepare to open their Group L campaign against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday.

The Chelsea winger, who is competing with Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka for the starting berth on the right, argued that the calibre of players available from the bench sets this England squad apart. Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford, Eberechi Eze, Morgan Rogers and Jude Bellingham are among those vying for places in Tuchel’s XI, meaning several high-profile names will begin matches on the bench.

“I feel like we have such an amazing team, where everybody knows how good they are,” Madueke told talkSPORT. “So it’s not like you’re going to be on the bench and you’re rubbish. It might be that the opponent suits one player better, or someone is in form.”

Madueke pointed to England’s recent friendly victory over Costa Rica as evidence of what that depth can produce. “If you look at the last game, how the subs came on and won the game for us so easily, that’s the strength in depth we have. It’s going to be crucial for this time.”

The heat in North America and the introduction of water breaks are expected to shorten effective playing time and increase the physical toll on starters, a factor Madueke believes will amplify the importance of impact substitutes across the tournament.

Madueke was selected in Tuchel’s 26-man squad partly for his versatility, with the England coaching staff valuing his ability to operate on either flank. Having impressed under the German manager, the 23-year-old is candid about what he believes he must add to reach the very top of the game.

“I want to be more ruthless. I feel like to go to that level where I’m one of the best wingers in the world, I need to score more, need to assist more,” he said. “I feel like I do so much for the team, irrespective of that. But definitely, as a winger, you want to score as much as possible. If I could score every game, I would. I feel like the level I’m at now, that’s the next step to go to. And I’ll definitely get to that.”