Elliot Anderson accepts that competition for England midfield places is intense as the 2026 World Cup nears. The Nottingham Forest player is fighting for a starting role, with Japan visiting Wembley Stadium on Tuesday for the final warm-up match before the tournament.
Anderson has delivered consistent displays for Nottingham Forest across the last two seasons in the Premier League. Those club performances helped Anderson become a regular option for Thomas Tuchel during England’s World Cup qualifiers, where Anderson appeared in five of the eight fixtures.
Across those qualifiers, Anderson played the eighth most minutes of any England player. Anderson shared the team lead for interceptions with six. Anderson also ranked second for tackles with five,
and placed third for completed passes, finishing with 432 across the campaign.
Competition comes from Adam Wharton and James Garner, who are both pushing for minutes alongside Declan Rice. Garner impressed against Uruguay, creating a match-high four chances, completing 15 final-third passes and winning six of nine duels. Wharton featured after half-time, completing 20 of 24 passes, creating one chance, winning four of five duels and sharing the interception lead with three.
| Player | Match / Period | Chances Created | Passes (total / final third) | Duels Won | Interceptions | Tackles Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elliot Anderson | World Cup qualifiers | - | 432 / - | - | 6 | 5 |
| James Garner | v Uruguay | 4 | - / 15 | 6 | - | - |
| Adam Wharton | v Uruguay (second half) | 1 | 20 / - | 4 | 3 | - |
The Japan friendly offers Anderson another chance to impress Tuchel before final tournament decisions. Anderson expects a major occasion and wants to show consistency from earlier games, while also keeping focus on learning within the national team environment.
"It's always a big game when you play for England. I'm looking forward to it," said the Forest midfielder.
26 #ThreeLions players are on the pitch as we train for the final time ahead of Japan Jordan Henderson is following his own programme indoors. pic.twitter.com/0pG9xFPFTSEngland (@England) March 30, 2026
England trained with 26 players on the pitch before facing Japan, while Jordan Henderson followed an individual programme indoors. The session underlined the depth available to Tuchel, with Anderson among several midfield options trying to convince the coaching staff before the squad travels to the World Cup.
"It's the last game before the World Cup, I've got to keep doing what I've been doing in the previous games. I'm really enjoying coming into the camp and learning off the lads. It's really good at the moment. We're all competing with each other but we're all really good mates within the group. There's a good balance. The competitiveness is there, but we're all really enjoying it. When you play for England, you've always got people coming for your position. Hopefully, I can do well enough to keep it. "
Anderson’s statistics in qualifying, combined with strong club form and a positive attitude in camp, keep the midfielder in contention for a starting place. The performances of Garner and Wharton highlight the level Anderson must maintain as England complete preparations against Japan before the 2026 World Cup begins.
