The No. 10 Showdown: Shearer backs Rogers as England’s creative spark for World Cup 2026
25 December 2025
The No. 10 Debate Gets Serious
Alan Shearer, the English football legend, has named his preferred No. 10 for England's squad at World Cup 2026.
According to The Sun, Shearer believes Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa is closest to earning a starting spot in next summer's tournament.
Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid's star, has been a regular for the Three Lions under Gareth Southgate, but Shearer, now 55, thinks Rogers is in a prime position to start instead.
Rogers shone on Sunday, scoring a brace to seal Villa's 2-1 win over Manchester United.
"The talents England possesses at No. 10 are incredible. Rogers is unbelievable. He looks at ease, full of confidence. Everything he touches seems to turn to goals," Shearer said.
"Those late touches against United were brilliant... We’re really blessed in those roles when you look at the players we can rely on," he added.
"Rogers currently wears the No. 10 playmaker role for England... if you remember, he even played it under Tuchel; if the World Cup started tomorrow, he'd start. We've got six months to go, and we hope he stays at this level," Shearer continued.
"He's a phenomenal talent. Others compete, but starting tomorrow if the World Cup started now, he would start. That's how good he is," he said.
Rogers, 23, first featured for England under Lee Carsley last year, and quickly established himself as a regular.
He has already appeared in 12 international matches, starting four of England's last five.
Meanwhile, Bellingham's importance has dipped slightly, with him starting only once since their 1-0 win over Andorra in June.
Punchline 1: If Rogers keeps this form, England might actually have a No. 10 who doesn’t need a map to find the goal.
Punchline 2: And if this continues, I might start rooting for a defender to be the creative spark—just to keep things interesting at the pub.
