Harry Maguire has sent a good luck message to the England squad ahead of their World Cup semi-final against Argentina. The Manchester United defender, omitted from Thomas Tuchel's squad for the tournament in North America, posted on his Instagram story: 'All the best lads' alongside an England flag and love heart emoji.
Maguire was a shock exclusion from Tuchel's 26-man squad despite a strong season under Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick. The 33-year-old was a key figure as United finished third in the Premier League, losing only twice after January, and secured Champions League football for the first time since 2023.
The former Leicester City defender revealed that Tuchel informed him of the decision via FaceTime, a call he described as 'quite awkward'. Maguire said: 'It was a surprise. I was really disappointed, and I thought I'd done enough to make the squad... I thought I still had a part to play on and off the pitch.' He added that he and Tuchel 'had a few words' but the conversation was honest.
Maguire's omission sparked public criticism from his mother, who said she was 'absolutely disgusted' by the decision. The defender has since worked as a pundit on Gary Lineker's Netflix show, The Rest is Football, during the World Cup. He admitted that at 33, the next World Cup in four years' time seems a long way off.
