England manager Thomas Tuchel has likely made up his mind on most of his squad for the 2026 World Cup, but there may still be one or two spots up for grabs among Andy Dunn’s picks.
Thomas Tuchel is unlikely to have learned much from his last international break before the World Cup (Image: Getty Images)
Thankfully, the Football Association has convinced Thomas Tuchel to sign a contract extension that will keep him in England’s job for a few more years after the World Cup. Following the thrilling matches against Uruguay and Japan, we are all looking forward to many more exhilarating nights at Wembley.
Seriously though. A series of pointless international vacations will take a toll on your vacation to some extent.
The 35-man call-up made the camp a bit of a farce, but realistically it’s hard to imagine any player’s performance causing Tuchel to seriously reconsider. None of the more established members played outside the team, and none of the less established members played within the team.
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Now, Tuchel has a serious job to do. He has to choose 26 players to take to the World Cup.
Perhaps the Germans had almost made up their minds and were doing it before a draw with Uruguay and a loss to Japan. And if he’s in relatively good health, we can already predict the somewhat surprising winners and losers when he announces his final team.
The most obvious loser would be Trent Alexander-Arnold. Most experts would let him join, but he won’t go, that’s almost certain.
Trent Alexander-Arnold looks certain to miss out on World Cup selection (Image: Gokhan Taner/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Harry Maguire is also unlikely to qualify, although he has performed well in his return to international football. Luke Shaw’s consistent form and wealth of international experience means nothing, while Ollie Watkins’ recent absence will mark a disappointing summer for the Aston Villa striker.
The atmosphere isn’t great for Phil Foden, but Tuchel will likely stick with the Manchester City man. But who should Tuchel appoint?
Well, Trent certainly is, especially if he helps Real Madrid win the Champions League title. And Watkins was going to be there, too.
These are a different couple to Tuchel’s final choice. There will be more.
Players selected by Tuchel that I would rule out would likely include Jordan Henderson, Tino Libramento and Noni Madueke. But you can’t include them all.
The following are the 26 Tuchel players who should go to the United States in early June.
Andy Dunn’s World Cup Team
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