There are now just days to go until England begin their campaign at the 2026 World Cup, with Newcastle-born midfielder Elliot Anderson set to feature heavily in Thomas Tuchel's plans. The former Newcastle United midfielder will have a big supporter in the stands for every game: his famous brother Wil.
World Cup Underway
After all the build-up, this year's World Cup, jointly hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico, is now well underway. There have been some great matches so far, including the USA's 4-1 thrashing of Paraguay, Scotland's first World Cup win since 1990 against Haiti, and Germany's emphatic 7-1 victory against Curacao on Sunday.
Being in Group L, England have had a while to wait for kick-off, but there are now just days to go until their first game against Croatia.
Anderson's Role
Tuchel's men travel to Dallas for their tricky opener. Having started in England's final warm-up friendly against Costa Rica on Wednesday, Anderson, who left Newcastle United for Nottingham Forest in 2024 in a move that left fans gutted, looks likely to be in the starting XI on June 17.
Having been to a number of Forest games since Elliot's £35m transfer, older brother Wil, who appeared on Love Island right at the time he signed for Forest, has already arrived in the US for the World Cup.
Support from Family
Wil and fiancée Uma Jammeh, whom he met on Love Island, were in the crowd in Florida to see England edge out New Zealand in another World Cup warm-up match. Judging by posts on both of their Instagram grids, it looks like they have been having a great time so far.
Let's hope England will be in the tournament for a while yet and their Stateside trip won't be coming to an end anytime soon.
Family Tragedy
Earlier this year, siblings Elliot and Wil were a huge support for each other following the heartbreaking death of their mum Helen. Wil shared a moving tribute to her on social media, writing: 'You gave everything for our family and we were just ready to return the favour. You fought the toughest fight of them all and not once did it show, bowing out with grace surrounded by your boys.'
'You have shown me everything I know. Thank you for everything you have done for this family, none of us would have got this far without you.'
