Thomas Tuchel has named his 26-man England squad for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada — and it’s already causing plenty of debate. There are some exciting inclusions, some eyebrow-raising recalls, and one omission in particular that feels genuinely difficult to justify.
The full squad
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Manchester City)
Defenders: Reece James (Chelsea), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Manchester City), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), John Stones (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur)
Midfielders: Declan Rice (Arsenal), Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, on loan from Manchester United), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle)
The big talking points
Foden and Palmer both out
Phil Foden and Cole Palmer are among the most notable names left out after inconsistent domestic campaigns. Both have been key England players in recent tournaments — Palmer scored in the Euro 2024 final — but neither has reproduced that form consistently enough this season to force Tuchel’s hand.
Maguire’s angry reaction
Harry Maguire has also been omitted despite enjoying a strong individual season at Old Trafford — and he has not gone quietly, reacting publicly and admitting he was shocked and gutted by the decision, insisting he believed he could have played a major part this summer. He is the only player to have spoken out openly about his exclusion.
Ivan Toney’s surprise recall
Among the surprise inclusions is Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney, who had made just one late substitute appearance under Tuchel and had not been selected since a camp last June — but the 30-year-old has scored 32 goals in the Saudi Pro League this season and Tuchel has clearly decided form is form, wherever it comes from.
Rashford’s Barcelona redemption arc
Marcus Rashford’s inclusion is one of the feel-good stories of the squad. Written off entirely at Manchester United earlier this season, his loan move to Barcelona has revitalised him completely. He goes to a World Cup with momentum behind him again — something few would have predicted six months ago.
The harshest omission: Morgan Gibbs-White
This is the one that stings. Gibbs-White has been the top-scoring English player in the Premier League this season with 14 goals — a statistic that makes his absence from the squad almost impossible to explain on pure merit. He has been Nottingham Forest’s captain and their standout performer in what has been a genuinely impressive season for the club.
Tuchel opted for a blend of experience and emerging talent , but with Elliot Anderson — a fine player, but with considerably less top-flight goal output than Gibbs-White — making the cut, the Forest captain’s omission feels particularly sharp.
To Gibbs-White’s enormous credit, he has handled it with real class. Tuchel called him personally to explain the decision, and the 25-year-old revealed what was said: “He’s a really honest guy and the fact that he called me to tell me I wasn’t in the squad, I really appreciated that. All I’ve got to do is just focus on myself and focus on my team here and putting the performances right, to put myself in a good position to get called up. That’s all I can do.”
Fourteen Premier League goals. England’s top-scoring domestic player. Not going to the World Cup. It’s a brutal call — and one Tuchel may well reflect on if England’s midfield creativity is found wanting in North America.
What to expect from this squad
There’s genuine quality throughout. Bellingham and Rice are world-class. Kane remains one of the most reliable goalscorers on the planet. Saka and Madueke give Tuchel real width and directness. And the defensive options — while unconventional in places — include the experience of Stones and the energy of Livramento and James.
Whether it’s quite enough to go deep at a World Cup is another question. But England head into the summer with real optimism — and a squad that, for all its controversies, has plenty of players capable of producing moments that matter.
The World Cup begins in June. Get ready.