Thomas Tuchel is expected to announce England’s World Cup squad on Friday, but two major decisions have already been revealed publicly. Phil Foden and Harry Maguire are reportedly set to miss out on the squad traveling to the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
According to the BBC, Foden has not been included in the final squad despite recently returning to the German coach’s plans for qualifiers and friendlies. The Manchester City attacking star has endured a difficult spell in front of goal, having failed to score for his club since December. This dip in form appears to have cost him his place in Pep Guardiola’s starting lineup and, ultimately, his seat on England’s World Cup plane.
“I was convinced that, after the season I’ve had, I could make an important contribution to my country this summer,” said Maguire.
The defender has rediscovered his form with Manchester United, who finished the season in third place and secured a return to the Champions League after a three-year absence. Tuchel had praised his performances at club level and recalled him to the national team in March for the first time since September 2024.
At the time, Maguire described his conversation with the coach as a “fantastic phone call” that even thrilled his mother.
“It’s fantastic to be back here. I had missed it, because when you are not called up after six or seven years as a regular member of the squad, it’s difficult,” he had said.
For that very reason, the final decision to leave him out of the World Cup hit him hard.
“This decision shocked me and left me deeply disappointed,” Maguire said in response to the German coach’s decision. Nevertheless, he wished the squad “all the best” for the tournament.
Maguire had also missed UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany because of a serious muscle injury. Before that, he had been one of England’s key figures for years, playing major roles at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where England reached the semifinals, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by France, and UEFA Euro 2020, which ended with a dramatic final defeat against Italy at Wembley Stadium.
Under Tuchel, John Stones of Manchester City and Ezri Konsa of Aston Villa have been the preferred central defensive pairing during recent qualifiers. Marc Guehi is also expected to compete for a starting role, while Dan Burn of Newcastle United is expected to be included in the tournament squad.
There is also significant attention surrounding the decision on Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Real Madrid right-back has made only one appearance for England since Tuchel took charge and has not been selected by the coach for almost a year.
“It was a very difficult decision. We have no doubts about his talent or what he can bring to a team. It is a harsh decision, perhaps even an unfair one. But these kinds of decisions have to be made and he must accept that,” Tuchel had said at the end of March after once again leaving Alexander-Arnold out.
The coach explained that he had changed the tactical system in the autumn and that the selected players fit the system better. However, this explanation did not convince English football legend Gary Lineker.
“I think there is something personal here, because from a footballing perspective there is absolutely no reason,” Lineker said on the podcast The Rest Is Football. “In his position, you have players who, with all due respect, are not on the same level as him, especially with the ball at their feet.”
Lineker added that he suspects there is something about Alexander-Arnold that Tuchel simply does not like.
“I can only guess whether it’s about his attitude or the fact that he isn’t outstanding defensively. There has to be something behind this, because it makes absolutely no sense,” he stated.
Also left out of the squad is Harry Maguire, with the Manchester United centre-back confirming to talkSPORT that he was not included in the final 26-man squad. The 33-year-old did not hide his disappointment following Tuchel’s decision.
