England face Mexico in the World Cup round of 16 on July 5, 2026, with a quarter-final place at stake. Thomas Tuchel's side are among the tournament favourites, but several high-profile players have been left out of the 26-man squad.
Cole Palmer's Omission
Chelsea star Cole Palmer was the most surprising exclusion. Tuchel opted for Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze as No.10 options, with Noni Madueke as Bukayo Saka's understudy on the right wing. Palmer, who scored 22 goals in all competitions in 2024-25, saw his form dip in the second half of last season.
Tuchel explained: "I think he suffers from a lack of individual form within his club. He was not as decisive or as influential as he was in the last seasons, throughout the whole season. Second of all, he was not very influential with us. His record with us was just not outstanding, not good enough to make him 'no matter what, he is coming.'"
Tuchel added that Palmer had pulled out of camps injured and failed to make an impact when available: "I can find a lot of arguments to have him in the squad. I respect his quality and his very unique personality... but to have these moments you need also to be in shape, you need to be influential within this group and he has just failed to prove it, on a consistent level."
Harry Maguire's Social Media Backlash
Harry Maguire enjoyed a strong season at Manchester United and was recalled for March friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. However, he was not selected for the World Cup, with Marc Guehi, John Stones, Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn and Jarell Quansah chosen as centre-backs, while Trevoh Chalobah was called up as a replacement for the injured Tino Livramento.
Maguire took to social media before the squad was officially announced, saying: "I was confident I could of played a major part this summer for my country after the season I've had." His wife posted: "Beyond devastated for you. There was nothing else you could have possibly done to prove your worth." His mother said she was "absolutely disgusted", while his brother called it a "shamble" and his sister labelled it "crazy".
Tuchel responded: "I was a bit surprised, but I respect his personality a lot. I respect his quality a lot. He had an outstanding season. I can see the disappointment... Still, I was a bit surprised, because we had a private conversation in which he had the chance to express his feelings, which he did." He added that the decision stood because of the strong performances of the selected defenders during the autumn internationals.
Phil Foden's Form Dip
Phil Foden's absence from the squad was less surprising given his poor form for Manchester City in the second half of the season. His last Premier League goal came in December, with only three assists after that. The 26-year-old has also often failed to replicate his club form for England.
Tuchel said: "With Phil it's a little bit different because Phil was excellent in camp for us... And it hurt me a lot, actually, to call him and to tell him this decision. I could see in his reaction how much it affects him, how much it would have meant for him to come. But I think, like with Cole and especially with Phil, he lost momentum in a crucial moment of the season and basically the last half of the season, we could see glimpses here and there but not a lot of evidence."
The three players join a list of notable absentees as England aim for their first World Cup title since 1966.
