Pickford targets World Cup glory and 100 England caps as third tournament looms

Jordan Pickford will carry England’s hopes in goal at a third consecutive World Cup, with the Everton goalkeeper declaring that winning the tournament is his sole personal objective over the next seven weeks — and that reaching 100 international caps can wait until after the trophy is lifted.

Pickford, 32, currently holds 82 England caps and has been the undisputed first choice under successive managers. When Thomas Tuchel took charge last March, questions briefly surfaced over whether the German would look to shake up the goalkeeping position. Pickford answered them emphatically, producing what he describes as arguably the best season of his career at club level and cementing his status with the national side.

“When the manager came in last March, I knew that. It was not like a trial, but I felt ‘right, I need to go and showcase who I am and what I can do to put an impression on the manager,’” Pickford said. “That’s what drives me and what pushes me on. Just keep improving, keep being consistent and keep driving those standards for myself to showcase on the pitch.”

The goalkeeper credits Tuchel with helping him push his own benchmarks higher, drawing a parallel to the way any new manager forces players to prove themselves regardless of reputation. “You might have a good reputation, but they need to see it with their own eyes,” Pickford said. “I think that’s what drives me even more, whether it’s a new manager or a new season. I’ll always try to improve.”

Pickford has experienced the full spectrum of near-misses with England. He was part of the squad that reached the quarter-finals and semi-finals at successive World Cups, and he was between the posts for two consecutive European Championship final defeats — most painfully the penalty shootout loss to Italy at Wembley in 2021. Rather than weighing on him, he says those experiences have sharpened England’s hunger.

“We’ve had both sides of a final,” Pickford said, referencing the Italy defeat in which England led inside two minutes. He argues the accumulated heartbreak has produced a squad that knows exactly what is required to go one step further.

On the milestone of 100 caps, Pickford is characteristically measured. “The 100 caps is in the back of the mind. There is always those chapters and always those goals,” he said. “My goal, though — everyone knows what our goal is with England. Personally, that’s my goal for the next seven weeks: to win, lift that trophy. A lot of hard work, a lot of chapters going through it. That’s my goal, but then we’ll look at the caps.”

At 32, Pickford is entering the tournament in the form of his career and with the authority of a player who has lived through England’s most significant modern occasions. Whether that experience finally translates into a winner’s medal remains to be seen.