Dele Alli Insists He Will Play For England At 2026 FIFA World Cup

Nigerian-born English footballer, Dele Alli said he aims to play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup even though he has not played a professional game in the last year.

Dele Alli made his international debut for England on October 9, 2015, after playing for all the junior levels of the national team.

The 28-year-old attacking midfielder made 37 appearances for the Three Lions of England in which he scored three goals before he lost his place on the team.

Dele Alli’s downfall in the game started after Tottenham Hotspur sacked coach Mauricio Porchetino at the peak of the player’s career at Spurs in 2019. Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t able to keep a good relationship with Jose Mourinho who was Porchetino’s successor at Spurs then.

The relationship between Alli and Mourinho grew so bad that the player lost his place in the Spurs’ squad. Due to that, he had to move to Everton where he has been battling with fitness issues and poor form.

Alli who used to be one of the most promising youngsters in the world and one of the highest rated players, is not worth just €5 million.

The last time he played for England was in June 2019 due to poor form, fitness issues, and his inability to play regularly for his club.

Despite that, Dele Alli said on Monday Night Football that his target is to be a part of England’s 2026 World Cup squad.

“It’s hard for me to even watch football. It’s been tough for me, I’d say, this past eight months has been hard to watch”, Alli said.

“You know you can set reminders on your phone, I have a reminder at 11 o’clock every day that says, “World Cup 2026”.

“That’s my aim for now. I think that people will be like, “he hasn’t played in a year” but I don’t care, I know my level.

”The only target I have is the World Cup right now. Obviously, I’m injured and contracted to Everton and so my mind is just about taking it day by day and making sure my injury is healed and that I’m in the best possible condition after the summer.”