Ahead of this summer's World Cup , Lee Dixon sat down exclusively with BOYLE Sports to share his honest assessment of Thomas Tuchel 's England setup, the squad selection debates, and the players who could define England 's tournament.
Dixon doesn't pull his punches on Trent Alexander-Arnold , Ben White , Bukayo Saka , and Nico O'Reilly , while also reflecting on what Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane might contribute to the tournament.
From youth phenoms to Ballon d'Or contenders, the former Arsenal right-back covers the full picture of what the 2026 World Cup might hold.
England Squad Dilemmas
Nico O'Reilly
I think both being a starter for England and winning the PFA Young Player of the Year are a certainty for Nico O'Riley . He's been exceptional and has burst onto the scene, unfazed by anything put in front of him. He has the confidence that comes from playing in a brilliant team with a brilliant manager, which certainly helps his progress, along with the quality of players around him. But he still has to deliver, and he has the ability and confidence to perform at any level. I think Thomas Tuchel really likes him, and he's an absolute shoo-in for the World Cup , where I have no doubt he will perform.
The one thing I would say is that the way he plays for City at full-back is not the way he will be asked to play for England at times. Specifically, in 1v1 marking situations against a winger, I haven't seen enough of him to know if that will be okay long-term. Defensively, his positioning when the ball is on the opposite side is sometimes questionable, but he's been asked to play slightly advanced, so he'll have to adapt to that. He has a huge amount to learn about the intricacies of playing as a defensive full-back when required, and he will be asked to do that in the World Cup at some point.
I'm intrigued by him because he's so good on the ball and reads the game brilliantly. He's an athlete, has an eye for a goal, and is adaptable. If Thomas needed him in midfield, he could go and play anywhere. He's a really good footballer. I'm a big fan of his.
White Or Trent?
I understand why Ben White was brought back. I also understand why Thomas Tuchel left Trent out. It just doesn't fit the way he wants the game to be played, and that's entirely up to him. I think Trent 's a brilliant passer, a brilliant ball player, but not the best fullback you could pick.
Does Tuchel want more defensive stability in that position? Does Ben White give you that? Yes, he does. So, I can understand all the arguments, including the one questioning why the England manager leaves out such a skilful player as Trent . But that's just the way he sees the game. I have no problem with it. I'm not one of those banging on the rooftops that Trent should be in at all costs, because, from a fullback's point of view, he's not my type of fullback. However, I see his qualities differently.
When he plays in midfield, I don't think that suits him. It suits him to play in a team that allows their fullback to be in the upper echelons of the pitch more, and that doesn't suit England right now. So, yes, I can see why he was left out.
Q: Is Saka's Spot Under Threat?
There's always an opportunity for others to fill in when Bukayo Saka 's not playing. There is Noni Madueke , I think Thomas Tuchel has been a fan of his when he's been playing for England on that right-hand side and obviously Anthony Gordon on the left-hand side.
If Bukayo Saka 's fit, Saka plays for me for England . I don't think there's anyone that can create the numbers that he normally can. His form obviously dropped off a bit. But I think he's a staple of the England setup if he's fit.
Max Dowman
Max Dowman going to the World Cup would be a mistake. I mean, I'm a big fan of his as a player. Theo Walcott went back in the day, and it was like, what are you doing? I think there's so much pressure, and he's just turned 16. I mean, give the lad a break, let him finish his GCSEs, and watch it on TV.
He will get a lot of opportunities to be in that position moving forward because he's an absolute superstar in the making. So, it's not for me to be involving him in that right now.
Thomas Tuchel
Could Tuchel Leave England?
I think the FA must have considered what might happen if the tournament goes badly. If we give him a contract now and Thomas Tuchel has a nightmare World Cup , what happens then? They might have a mutual clause in there saying, 'If you don't do this, then you resign, and we'll knock it on the head.' We don't know what's in the contract. I wasn't necessarily surprised by them doing that. You know what the FA are like. They'll just pull a rabbit out of the hat whenever they feel like it.
It was kind of, 'Oh, right, he's signing. Why didn't they give him that opportunity earlier?' I still think he's got a lot to prove. I think we've played nobody, and when we have played somebody, we've not been great. So, there's still a huge amount for him to prove as a manager. I do like him, though. I liked him at Chelsea . I think he's got a steeliness about him that I think you need as a top, elite manager. He will do it his way, which, I think, all England fans should accept. Whether you like the fact that he's not English or not, I think you should be happy that he's his own man, and he will do it his way, and we just have to support that.
If it fails, then he'd be the first to hold his hand up and say, 'I messed it up.' He's not one to duck questions. I think he's very honest, and he's honest with his players. We just need to see a little bit more in the last two warm-up games in order for us to have a bit more confidence. If Harry Kane gets injured, then what do we do? Obviously, regarding the final squad, Ollie Watkins is banging goals in again, so is he going to come back in? The false nine with Phil Foden was a disaster, so what happens then? There are lots of questions, but I do believe that if I'm going to ask a question, I'd probably like the answer that Tuchel would give me.
Ballon d'Or
Harry Kane
Harry Kane is on course for the Ballon d'Or ; he's incredible. He must be loving every minute of being over there. I think there was a lot of speculation when he went, people asking why is he leaving? He's got the record to try and get all of that.
But I think he chose well, and I think it suits him. He suits his game over there. The fans love him. I don't see him coming back anytime soon.
Will Ronaldo Win The World Cup?
Will Cristiano Ronaldo win the World Cup this summer? Probably not. I don't see Portugal winning it. They'll be one of the teams that are competitive. But it would be a big surprise if Cristiano Ronaldo is picking that World Cup up at the end of it.
Let's hope they have a good tournament, but I'm not really that bothered about Cristiano Ronaldo winning it. I just want England to win it. But whether we will or not is a different story.
Wenger's Legacy
Q: Has Arsene Wenger influenced modern football diets like Cristiano Ronaldo?
Has Arsene Wenger influenced modern football diets like Cristiano Ronaldo ? Definitely. The collective of him coming in and changing the regimes of food and recovery and preparation and all of that, it definitely filtered into individual players. I had a relatively good old school diet, pasta the night before a game and all the usual stuff, not drinking alcohol five days before a game or all of the stuff that filters down into the players.
If you're doing it on a team basis, you start to live your life at home slightly differently. And certainly now what's available to the players as far as data and all the analysis of body weight and all the stuff that the sports scientists give the players information on. Some of them take it on board and go, right, I'm going to go to the next level. And certainly from Cristiano 's point of view, he's gone 10 levels ahead, and he's probably biohacking himself into living to 150 and playing for Real Madrid at the age of 90, knowing him.
It's an incredible science. And to watch these players, I kind of envied that a little bit. I finished 20 odd years ago, and I played to 38, but the knowledge I now have might have meant I could play to 40. Ultimately, nothing replaces playing. So from his point of view, even though he's not playing at the elite level he was, to be able to still play and compete, which is in his blood, is amazing. He will go on until he can't go on any longer, but he's done a pretty good job at keeping his body in decent shape.
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Behind every great sporting moment is a story worth telling. The BOYLE Sports Editorial team sits down with the most relevant names in sport for candid conversations, genuine insight, and the kind of access that brings you closer to the real stories behind the headlines.
