Stones vows to prove Guardiola wrong as free agent targets World Cup impact with England

John Stones has declared he is in the best shape of his international career heading into the 2026 World Cup, channelling a season of near-total exclusion at Manchester City into motivation to prove Pep Guardiola wrong on the biggest stage.

The 32-year-old centre-back made just five Premier League starts in Guardiola’s final campaign at the Etihad, a run of games so sparse that his inclusion in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad represents a significant act of faith by the head coach. Stones is now a free agent after his City contract expired.

“I was fit enough 100 per cent,” Stones said. “It comes down to various things, the manager and that’s something I can’t control. He knows how much I wanted to play, how much I wanted to be there. I feel as good as I’ve ever been before a tournament. Ready, ready to go, feel great, feel sharp and feel fresh and excited for it.”

The frustration, Stones suggested, has sharpened rather than diminished him. Having accumulated 79 caps, he has set his sights on reaching 100 appearances for England and believes this squad has the conviction, not merely the hope, to go one better than the near-misses of recent tournaments.

“I always believed we would win and that belief has to be a belief — it can’t be a hope,” he said. “We all hope for good things to happen but when you have a belief it’s different. I’ve said from March and qualifying that we have that belief and we should feel that.”

Stones also reflected on a career that has exceeded his own expectations. “If you’d said that to me as a kid that I’d get to those points in my career — especially in an England shirt — I feel immense pride but something is missing,” he added, a clear reference to the international trophy that has so far eluded him and his teammates.

With his club future unresolved, the World Cup offers Stones a rare opportunity: a high-profile window to remind potential suitors of his quality while chasing the one honour that would define his England legacy.