Harry Maguire was one of the surprise names left out of England’s squad for the 2026 World Cup and the Manchester United man has opened up about how he was told by manager Thomas Tuchel.
Harry Maguire was surprisingly left out of England’s World Cup squad (Image: Getty Images)
Harry Maguire has revealed he had an “awkward” FaceTime call with Thomas Tuchel after being told he was left out of England’s World Cup squad. The Manchester United star was one of the surprise names omitted from the Three Lions’ 26-man selection earlier this summer.
Maguire later made his feelings clear in a social media post. “After the season so far, I was confident that I could play a big role for my country this summer. I am shocked and heartbroken by this decision.”
“Over the years I have loved nothing more than wearing that shirt and representing my country and I wish the players all the best this summer.”
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Maguire revealed that he was informed of Tuchel’s decision via video call. He said, “He’s been FaceTimeing everyone. It’s a pretty awkward call.
“About 30 minutes before I was informed that my position was in jeopardy, something was announced in the media and that was the most frustrating thing.
“It was a surprise at the time. I immediately said it was a surprise. I was really disappointed. I was really disappointed.”
“We exchanged a few words. Look, I’m a pretty big personality. I’m experienced. It was an honest conversation between the two of us. He really told me there are no excuses.”
Maguire insists his form at United was good enough to earn him selection in the England squad.
“I thought I had done enough to get into the team and I thought I was able to help the players. I thought I still had a role to play, both on and off the pitch,” he said.
Maguire had an awkward video call with Tuchel after being left out of the World Cup squad (Image: Getty Images)
“I’m 33 now, so I’ll be 37 at the next World Cup. I didn’t just want to play, I wanted to go. I wasn’t looking to go out there and start. I was happy to play even a minute as long as I was with the players.”
Maguire added, “I think he said there really can’t be any excuses, but I think he said he’s not going with the four guys who qualified in the fall. He felt like he did well in the six games in fall camp. But he also said there really can’t be any excuses. But listen, that’s football. It was tough to take.”
Tuchel has previously expressed his views on Maguire’s social media activity, suggesting he was surprised by Maguire’s posts.
The England manager said: “I was a bit surprised, but I have a lot of respect for his character. I have a lot of respect for his quality. He’s had a great season. I can understand the disappointment. I understand the reasons behind the disappointment.”
“Still, I was a little surprised, because we had a private conversation in which he had the opportunity to express his feelings. He did that, which is fair enough, because I can understand all the reasons why he was able to join the team. But the decision is that we have solid support for the central defenders who supported us through September, October and November, some of whom are part of a leadership group that has taken ownership and set the bar high.
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