England World Cup squad announced as Harry Maguire and five more huge stars miss out
England's trophy dreams are in the hands of Thomas Tuchel's surprising squad selection for the 2026 World Cup.
He said as he revealed his picks: "We had to pick a squad that we love, and we really believe in. It comes down to who do we really trust? Who set the standards? Who formed the leadership group?
"It’s about the energy and the connection and the trust between me and my players."
Harry Maguire, a mainstay in England's defence for the past few tournaments, last night said he was 'shocked and gutted' by the omission, with the Manchester United CB confirmed to be absent from the squad travelling England fans will go to the USA to watch.
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“I was confident I could of [sic] played a major part this summer for my country after the season I’ve had,” the defender put on Instagram.
“I’ve loved nothing more than putting that shirt on and representing my country over the years. I wish the players all the best this summer.”
The hugely talented Phil Foden and Cole Palmer also miss out due to below-par seasons, along with Morgan Gibbs-White, who's been in stellar form for Forest, Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Euro 2020 final scorer Luke Shaw.
Of those who missed out, Tuchel said: "Difficult phone calls as I respect all of them. All of them deserved a call up. I called all players that have been in camp. In the end we went back to the evidence of September, October, November.
“Did this mean any of them did anything wrong? No."
United fans will be delighted with Kobbie Mainoo's first World Cup call-up, as Ollie Watkins' return to the squad is hardly a shock.
Ivan Toney, meanwhile, has made just one late substitute appearance under Tuchel and not been selected since that camp last June.
Tuchel's England World Cup squad in full:
GKs
Dean Henderson
Jordan Pickford
James Trafford
Defence
Dan Burn
Marc Guehi
Reece James
Ezri Konsa
Tino Livramento
Nico O'Reilly
Jarell Quansah
John Stones
Djed Spence
Midfield
Elliott Anderson
Jude Bellingham
Eberechi Eze
Jordan Henderson
Kobbie Mainoo
Declan Rice
Morgan Rogers
Attack
Anthony Gordon
Harry Kane
Noni Madueke
Marcus Rashford
Bukayo Saka
Ivan Toney
Ollie Watkins
The FA has until 31 May to submit a 26-man squad, but can make changes to outfield players for medical reasons up until 24 hours before the Group L opener against Croatia on 17 June.
Former England manager of eight years, Sir Gareth Southgate, said he won't be 'missing' having to tell players they were not part of the team, which he said were 'some of the most horrendous conversations'.
In an on-stage chat with former BBC boss Tim Davie in Los Angeles, he said: “I also will be giving the team space so I’m not doing media this summer, because I think anything I say will be amplified, thrown at Thomas and won’t help his job.
“But I’ve got a ticket lined up for the final, because I’ve waited 50 years, and if we’re at the final, then I want to be there for sure.”
Captain Harry Kane thinks England’s squad is 'as good as we’ve ever had' as he hopes to become the first Englishman to lift the trophy since Bobby Moore in 1966.
“I think our squad is as good as we’ve ever had,” the 32-year-old told the Press Association.
“I think when you look at the starting XI, you look at the players coming off the bench, we’re going into the tournament as one of the favourites.
“We’ve been building together as a team over the past few camps under Thomas.
“I think we’ve set the standard, and now we look forward to continuing this into the World Cup next month.
“There’s always something special about playing at the World Cup.
“There’s a special feeling inside, especially when you win.
“We know how much a World Cup win would mean, not just to us, but to the fans and the country itself.
“That’s what drives us on the pitch, and hopefully we can bring it home for the fans.”
The first game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be played between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday, 11 June 2026.
Anish Vij