Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, and Trent Alexander-Arnold will watch the World Cup from home after Thomas Tuchel omitted the trio from his 26-man England squad. The German head coach made an eye-catching first tournament selection, leaving out several high-profile names.
Surprise Omissions and Recalls
Harry Maguire, Adam Wharton, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Luke Shaw were also overlooked for the summer tournament in the United States. Maguire expressed his disappointment on social media, stating he was "shocked and gutted" to miss out after Tuchel informed players of his decision on Thursday. The steady leak of information allowed observers to piece together the squad ahead of Friday's official announcement.
Foden and Palmer, despite their immense talent, have endured below-par club campaigns with Manchester City and Chelsea respectively. Both face stiff competition in their positions. Real Madrid right-back Alexander-Arnold's omission was bold but somewhat predictable, as he has not earned a cap since last summer.
Returning Faces
Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney earned recalls as backup strikers to captain Harry Kane, having successfully fulfilled that role at Euro 2024. Watkins has scored 10 times for Aston Villa since being left out of March's squad, while Toney's free-scoring spell in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ahli led to a surprising return. Tuchel has only called up Toney once since taking charge, with his sole cap coming as an 88th-minute substitute in last June's friendly defeat to Senegal.
Tino Livramento has been selected despite missing the past month with a thigh issue, while similarly versatile full-back Djed Spence has been included despite reportedly breaking his jaw on Tuesday. England kick off Group L against Croatia in Dallas on June 17, before facing Ghana on June 23 and Panama on June 27.
