Declan Rice has just been announced by Thomas Tuchel as the new vice-captain of the England team in the 2026 World Cup campaign. The German strategist hopes Rice can bring excitement from last season with Arsenal to help improve the morale of the England team.
Currently, the captain's armband of the "Three Lions" still belongs to Harry Kane and this will not change. Last weekend in a friendly match with New Zealand, Tuchel handed over the captain's armband in the second half to Jude Bellingham, but this does not mean that the Real Madrid midfielder will be the official vice-captain. The last chosen person is Rice and he will wear the captain's armband if Kane is absent at some point at the 2026 World Cup.
Rice is not the captain at Arsenal, but Tuchel has long oriented himself to take on this role at the "Three Lions" if he remains in office at least until 2028. Along with Marc Guehi and Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice used to wear the captain's armband under Tuchel. These are players that the German coach trusts in terms of team leadership in many different situations.
When Kane was absent from the match against Wales in October last year, the captain's armbands were given to Watkins and Rice respectively. That's when I told him (Rice) about this.
Bellingham is also a big star, a talented player, but there are still 14-15 other players like him in the national team. The coaching staff will try to harmonize everything and let the players understand how much responsibility they will need to take to wear the captain's armband.
It is undeniable the excitement brought by Arsenal players, especially in the process of preparing for the match against Croatia" - Thomas Tuchel shared.
In 4 seasons of Arsenal racing for the Premier League title, especially in the last 3 campaigns when Rice was present, The Gunners gradually shaped the framework with the 100 million pound star as an indispensable player in midfield. In the midfield of the "Gunners" and "Three Lions" since then, Rice has always been an irreplaceable factor. There are many other talented players playing in the midfield area, but neither Mikel Arteta nor Thomas Tuchel could find a replacement for Rice.
The 27-year-old midfielder is the only player in the England midfield who can play from excellent to excellent in all positions. Besides being in good form, having Rice in hand also helps coaches, especially Tuchel, have more options at the 2026 World Cup. The story in the England team in the past 2 years, since Tuchel was appointed, has always been who will play with Rice in midfield? This further increases the irreplaceable role of this star.
In terms of personality, Rice is always a mirror of meticulousness, professionalism and dedication to football. He is a rare star of the England national team immune to off-field scandals. On the playground, giving his all, in the dressing room is always a symbol and creates cohesion, Rice is the person Tuchel needs in the first big campaign with the "Three Lions".
At the 2026 World Cup, the England team is in Group L with opponents Croatia, Ghana and Panama. The "Three Lions"' opening match started quite late, at 3 am on June 18 (Vietnam time).
