Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the 2026 World Cup has confirmed what the manager had been indicating for months: current form and tactical fit would take precedence over reputation, tournament experience and past service.
The result is a list of omissions that will fuel debate from now until the opening game in North America, and for those weighing FIFA World Cup Odds on England’s occasions, the absences are as telling as the inclusions.
Harry Maguire
The most controversial call on the list and certainly the hardest to defend. Maguire has divided opinion throughout his England career, but the facts of his recent form under Michael Carrick are hard to ignore.
Since Carrick took over at Old Trafford in January, Maguire has started every Premier League game, looked dominant in the air and composed in possession, visibly rediscovering the form that made him one of the first names on Gareth Southgate’s sheet for years.
His tournament experience is genuine and hard to replace: he has started in knockout football at one World Cup and two European Championships, and his aerial presence at set pieces, both in attack and defence, has repeatedly proved his worth. Tuchel has clearly decided he wants to build from the back with a different profile, but leaving out an in-form centre-back is a bold call.
Luke Shaw
Shaw’s omission is certainly all the more surprising given what he’s been through to get here. After years of serious injury setbacks, he has played every Premier League game for Manchester United this season, a remarkable achievement in itself that speaks to his fitness, durability and quality.
His ability to combine defensive solidity with progressive, attacking full-back play gives England a profile on the left that few in the squad can replicate. He has been one of England’s most reliable performers at major tournaments in recent memory, contributing directly to some of their best moments at Euro 2020, including scoring the goal to put England ahead against Italy.
The timing of this omission, as it has returned to its prime, feels especially harsh.
Cole Palmer
Palmer’s omission can be understood in context, even if it stings. His season at Chelsea has been inconsistent, and it’s worth acknowledging that some of that inconsistency reflects the chaos around him at Stamford Bridge rather than a simple dip in form.
He remains one of the most gifted attacking players England have produced in years, with the ability to make something out of nothing in tight international football. Tuchel has clearly decided that reliability and current pace matter more than potential brilliance, which is a defensible position.
It’s still a big bet to leave out a player capable of winning a playoff game on his own.
Phil Foot
Unlike Palmer, Foden’s omission is harder to argue on purely objective grounds. His season at Manchester City has been genuinely poor by his own standards, not just a matter of a lack of pace or confidence, but a sustained drop in production and influence throughout the campaign.
Tuchel will have watched him closely and concludes that Foden is not currently the player who tormented England’s opponents at Euro 2024. That said, players of Foden’s quality have a habit of finding form at major tournaments when the stakes are highest, and the margin between a sub-par Foden and most of the alternatives in this squad remains considerable.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent’s situation has its own specific context. His move to Real Madrid in January, while a remarkable career milestone, meant leaving the pace and familiarity of Anfield behind at a critical time in his development.
He has failed to consistently secure a starting position in Madrid, and Tuchel is understood to be concerned about his defensive positioning in a high-pressure international environment. None of this erases the fact that he is one of the most technically gifted English players of his generation.
His passing range, ability to create from deep and dead ball delivery are qualities that this team will almost certainly miss at some point in the tournament.
Jarrod Bowen
The least surprising omission of the bunch, but still a notable loss. Bowen’s directness, relentless work-rate off the ball and ability to stretch defenses gave England a functional option that complemented the more technical players around him.
His eight Premier League goals and 10 assists this season for West Ham show he is in career form. Tuchel has clearly prioritized a different profile, but Bowen’s energy off the bench would have offered genuine value in the knockout rounds.
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Tuchel will be judged by results, as are all England managers. If the Three Lions make it to North America, those calls will be recast as brave and visionary. If they come up short in the knockout rounds, needing a moment of individual brilliance, these are the names that will come up.
England-Croatia bets markets reflect a side expected to progress comfortably from the group stage. Whether this squad has the winning class to go all the way remains the central question of an English summer.
