MANCHESTER, England (AP) — A big name has been kicked out of England’s league. world cup Phil Foden and Cole Palmer were surprisingly left out of Thomas Tuchel’s 26-man roster in Friday’s squad announcement.
There was no place for Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold or Manchester United duo Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw in the group heading to tournaments in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“I think we’ve been very clear from day one that we’re trying to select and build the best team possible. It’s not necessarily about selecting and gathering the 26 most talented players,” Tuchel said. “Teams win championships. It’s that simple. And what we’re trying to accomplish this summer can only be accomplished as a team.”
England are aiming to win their first men’s title since the World Cup was held in 1966.
Just two years ago, Foden won the double England Player of the Year award with Manchester City. Chelsea’s Palmer was one of England’s star players at the 2024 European Championship, scoring in the final against Spain.
However, both players had disappointing seasons with their clubs and ultimately paid the price by not being selected for Tuchel’s squad. Maguire confirmed on Thursday that he would not take part in the tournament, saying: “I was shocked and disappointed.” Not included.
“I can guarantee all the fans in the country, we have 26 100% committed players in the camp. They understand their role, they are ready to accept their role on and off the pitch, they are ready and committed to the idea of team spirit and being unselfish,” Tuchel said.
All of England’s top players were included, including Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice.
The surprise selection was Ivan Toney, who has only played once for his country since moving to the Saudi league after Euro 2024.
Manchester United midfielder Koby Mainu, who featured in the second half of the season, is also included in the squad.
Mainu rose to prominence at the Euros, but was relegated to the margins at United under former manager Ruben Amorim and lost his place in the England squad. He returned to the first team when Michael Carrick took over as manager in January and was the driving force behind United’s rise to third place in the Premier League and a return to the Champions League.
Arsenal’s Premier League winners Ebelesi Eze and Noni Madueke will be playing in their first World Cup, while Marcus Rashford, who missed out on Euro 2024, will play in another major international tournament after rebuilding his career at Barcelona this season.
Foden’s decline in form
Foden has been a regular selection since Tuchel took charge of England in January 2025, with his most recent appearance coming during the final international break in March.
He started every game up until the last Euro final, when England lost 2-1 to Spain.
However, his form has been poor and he only came on as a substitute in last week’s FA Cup final, meaning he has rarely started for City since the start of the year.
Palmer was named England’s Young Player of the Year in 2024 and was seen as one of the country’s brightest stars after leading Chelsea to victory at last year’s Club World Cup. Like Foden, he has struggled for consistency this season, failing to score in his last 14 games for club and country.
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England national team:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City).
Defenders: Dan Byrne (Newcastle), Mark Guehi (Manchester City), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Libramento (Newcastle), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarrell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Jed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City).
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Ebelesi Eze (Arsenal), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Koby Mainu (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rodgers (Aston Villa).
Forwards: Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Maduke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Al Ahly), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).
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James Robson is https://x.com/James Saran Robson
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
