Should Ivan Toney Be in the England Squad this Summer?

Should Ivan Toney Be in the England Squad this Summer?

Admittedly Ivan Toney is not the first name that jumps to mind when thinking about the forward options Thomas Tuchel has at his disposable ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The likes of Dominic Solanke, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Ollie Watkins have been mentioned more often compared to the former Brentford striker. However, Toney’s potential involvement in England’s summer squad should be taken far more seriously than realised at first glance.

So, should Ivan Toney be in the England squad this summer?

Ivan Toney’s Season So Far

Toney is having an excellent season over in the Saudi Pro League, scoring 35 goals across 39 games in all competitions. Not bad for a striker ahead of a World Cup year. In his 26 appearances for Al-Ahli so far this campaign, Toney has netted 26 goals and has provided six assists.

The former Brentford striker, who has the second most goals in a Championship season, left the club in 2024 to join Al-Ahli. Despite making the decision to leave England and play for a team outside of the English pyramid for the first time in his career, Toney has always had one eye on his international career.

In an interview with talkSport, Toney has emphasised the importance of focusing on his game and what he can control:

“I'm sure goals will get me recognised and help me push close to being in the frame. But there's a lot of other great strikers and a lot of competition.

“I can only control what I can control, which is trying to score goals and do well for my team here.

I just have to be focused on myself, keep my head down and keep scoring goals.”

With Toney showing he has the goalscoring form this season heading into the World Cup, there’s no argument saying he shouldn’t at least be in the conversation for a spot on the plane.

The 30-year-old did play an important part at the Euros back in 2024, assisting Harry Kane’s goal against Slovakia in the Round of 16 and scoring in the penalty shootout versus Switzerland in the quarter-finals of the tournament.

This previous experience in the high-pressure environment of a major international competition should only aid Toney’s case to be included in Tuchel’s team. So why aren’t fans talking that much about him?

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🗣️ Ivan Toney: "Going to the World Cup with England? It would mean a lot... I have never played at a World Cup. It would be a dream."

"All I can do is keep scoring goals. That gives me the best chance possible... I feel much fitter and the stats speak for themselves. My… pic.twitter.com/BcUAo7sCOf

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) February 17, 2026

Tuchel’s Other Forward Options

Ollie Watkins

As aforementioned, Tuchel has a plethora of strikers he can choose from to act as the backup to Kane. Despite having an underwhelming season so far, I believe Watkins should still be on Tuchel’s radar.

However he has only nine Premier League goals this campaign and is therefore not the forward in form at the moment. Despite this Watkins still has seven league matches left to play as well as a two-legged Europa League quarter-final against Bologna.

That’s more than enough games for the 30-year-old to find some form and force his way back into the thoughts of Tuchel. Will being left out of the recent England squad motivate or break Watkins for the remainder of the season?

Ollie Watkins admits he wasn't surprised to be left out of the England squad, given his recent form, before putting in one of his best performances of the season this afternoon.#AVFC https://t.co/weAueIBbVt

— John Townley (@johntownley11) March 22, 2026

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

After years of injury struggles and lacking regular minutes on the football pitch, Calvert-Lewin looks to be back to his best. The Leeds United forward has exploded into form this season, netting 10 Premier League goals in 28 matches.

The 29-year-old also scored in The Whites’ FA Cup triumph over West Ham on the weekend, converting a penalty to give his side a 2-0 lead at the time. Calvert-Lewin also went on to score in the penalty shootout after the game ended 2-2 at the London Stadium.

With the former Everton striker’s inclusion in England’s last set of friendlies before the World Cup, it’s clear to see that Tuchel has Calvert-Lewin at the forefront of his mind. Whether or not the former Chelsea manager will choose to include him in the World Cup squad is another matter.

An honour to be back wearing the England shirt, loved every minute ❤️ pic.twitter.com/3s2q619HDf

— Dominic Calvert-Lewin (@CalvertLewin14) March 28, 2026

Dominic Solanke

Solanke is a player who is in a similar boat to Calvert-Lewin in relation to Tuchel recognising him as a potential player to bring to the World Cup. The Tottenham striker has had an injury hit campaign, making only 12 Premier League appearances and scoring three goals.

However, 28-year-old has netted three Champions League goals in as many games, and in a Spurs side that has been abysmal this season, it’s no mean feat to perform well in that environment.

While Solanke has lacked the consistent minutes of his fellow England teammates, he has still shown enough in the short space of time that he could be the suitable backup to Kane. On the other hand, the Spurs striker lacks experience at major international tournaments, which could have the potential to knock him down a few places in the pecking order.

Tonight is Dominic Solanke's 1st start for England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

It comes 8 years and 133 days after his debut as a sub vs Brazil. The longest gap in England's history. pic.twitter.com/A6xU7kgSQw

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 27, 2026

When taking a step back and looking at who will join Kane in the forward department at the World Cup, Toney doesn’t appear to be the man at the front of the list. However, with the domestic season being far from over, it does beg the question as to if Tuchel will look at Toney’s form this season and see that as enough to earn him a spot on the plane.