England World Cup Squad Revealed: Foden, Palmer and Alexander-Arnold Miss Out

Thomas Tuchel has brutally left a number of high-profile names out of his England squad for this summer’s World Cup whilst also making a shock recall.

With 163 England caps between them, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Maguire are the biggest names to have missed out on selection after Tuchel confirmed his 26-man squad for this summer’s tournament in North America.

Premier League player of the season nominee Morgan Gibbs-White, Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, Newcastle defender Lewis Hall, Man Utd’s Luke Shaw and West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen are other notable absentees from the squad.

The surprise name on the list is Ivan Toney, who has played just 7 minutes of international football since Euro 2024.

The former Brentford striker has scored 32 goals in 32 Saudi Pro League games for Al-Ahli this season, earning him a shock recall.

Other notable inclusions include Spurs defender Djed Spence, Man Utd midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, Arsenal duo Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah, Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins and the experienced duo of John Stones and Jordan Henderson, who boast 176 caps between them.

England’s full squad for the 2026 World Cup

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford.

Defenders: Reece James, Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Dan Burn, Nico O’Reilly, Djed Spence, Tino Livramento.

Midfielders: Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Jordan Henderson, Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze.

Forwards: Harry Kane, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Noni Madueke.

Following the announcement of his squad, Tuchel said:

“We have to pick the squad we are convinced & love. It comes down to who do we really trust? Who delivered? Who helped with the culture? Who are the leaders? It’s about the energy, the connection & the trust.

“This is hopefully the best group. From day one we said we were building the best group, not necessarily the most talented. The group is the main focus and that was the headline in selecting this group. If we want to reach what we want to reach that was the thinking behind it.

“It was not easy but I think it was the right call.

“It is a mix of all of that. What did they do for us? Does a player bring a different profile? It was heavily influential what they did for us and then we watched and monitored. It is never out of the picture what you do for the club but what they did in camp [is important].

“After the match we played in Serbia the players didn’t see that we saw five or six players did running in the dark on low quality pitches. They didn’t complain or whisper or create their own group. And they didn’t know we saw that.”

What’s next for England?

England will depart for the United States on Monday, June 1, 16 days prior to their opening group encounter against Croatia on 17th June.

The squad will be based in Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri, during the tournament.

England have World Cup warm-up matches with New Zealand on 6th June and Costa Rica on 10th June before their tournament opener against Croatia.