Wilshere’s argument, as presented in the report, is that England are equipped across the pitch rather than dependent on one match-winner. That case is strengthened by their recent tournament record: their last major competition ended in the European Championship final.
The challenge is converting depth into knockout control. A deep squad matters only if it can absorb setbacks, maintain intensity and find solutions when a match becomes tight. Thomas Tuchel will be judged on those details, not simply on the number of high-profile options available to him.
Winning the tournament and collecting every major individual honour is a harder task than either ambition alone. Argentina won the 2022 World Cup, but Kylian Mbappé finished ahead of Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race after the final. Germany also fell short of a clean sweep in 2014, when James Rodríguez finished as the tournament’s leading scorer.
Those examples provide a clear warning for England. Even champions who reach the final and produce outstanding individual performances rarely control every award category.
The report also attributes contrasting forecasts to former players. Eden Hazard reportedly expects England to go no further than the quarter-finals, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has tipped them to reach the final.
That range reflects England’s position in the conversation: they are being assessed as a serious contender, but not an undisputed favourite. Wilshere’s forecast goes further than most by combining team success with individual dominance.
The immediate test is the reported Croatia opener on Wednesday. A strong start would not prove England can complete the sweep, but it would give Tuchel’s side the platform to make the larger prediction credible.