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Published : 22 May 2026, 07:40 PM
England will head to next month's World Cup without several familiar faces after midfielders Phil Foden and Cole Palmer and defender Trent Alexander-Arnold all missed the cut for manager Thomas Tuchel's 26-man squad on Friday.
There was a surprise recall, however, for former Brentford striker Ivan Toney despite him playing only seven minutes of international football since Euro 2024.
Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo was selected after a return to form in the second half of the season but there was no place for his United teammate Harry Maguire who has been a mainstay of England's defence in recent tournaments.
United's Luke Shaw also missed out but Manchester City defender John Stones has been selected for his sixth tournament despite making only a handful of league appearances this season.
Real Madrid right back Alexander-Arnold has featured only once since Tuchel took charge of England in January 2025 and his omission was not a surprise.
Brentford's veteran midfielder Jordan Henderson, a firm favourite of Tuchel for his leadership qualities, becomes only the second England player to make four World Cup squads after 1966 World Cup winner Bobby Charlton.
Ruthless Streak
Tuchel's ruthless streak and loyalty to players who have performed under his tenure, rather than those with big reputations, was again in evidence as the German selected nine players without any previous major tournament experience.
Only eight of England's 2022 World Cup squad in Qatar, when England reached the quarter-finals, make this year's selection.
"I love the difficult decisions, and I love the tough decisions -- they bring a certain edge," Tuchel told the England official app after the squad was announced.
"That is what you need to go all the way. It is hard to please. In the end, we have to pick the squad that we as a staff are convinced of and really believe in.
"Everything I know about international football and everything I hear about international football is that it is about chemistry. It is about the energy, connection and trust between me and the players."
No Liverpool players are in the squad -- the first time that has happened at a major tournament since 1986.
Premier League champions Arsenal and runners-up Manchester City both have four players in the squad with Arsenal's Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke amongst Tuchel's attacking options.
Toney Has Special Skills, Says Tuchel
While much of the reaction to Tuchel's selection was about the players not going, Toney's inclusion was a big talking point.
The 30-year-old has scored 32 goals for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Arabian Pro League, but has managed a combined 51 minutes for England in competitive matches.
"I think he has very special skills that could help us, the situations, scenarios when we are chasing a result," Tuchel said. "He ticks some boxes that we wanted to be ticked."
Manchester City's Foden and Chelsea's Palmer had both been vying for the No.10 role but have found themselves overtaken in Tuchel's pecking order by the likes of Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers after disappointing seasons for their clubs.
Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White had been strongly tipped to earn a place but was left disappointed despite being the joint top English goalscorer in the Premier League alongside Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins and Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Watkins is one of seven forwards in the squad which will again rely heavily on the goals of Harry Kane who will be appearing at his sixth tournament, the fifth as captain.
England are one of the main favourites for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. They are in Group L with Croatia, Ghana and Panama.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Man City).
Defenders: Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), John Stones (Man City), Marc Guehi (Man City), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Nico O'Reilly (Man City), Djed Spence (Tottenham), Tino Livramento (Newcastle).
Midfielders: Declan Rice (Arsenal), Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Kobbie Mainoo (Man Utd), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal).
Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Noni Madueke (Arsenal).
