England's FIFA World Cup squad shocker: Foden, Palmer and Trent axed by Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel has announced his England squad for this summer's FIFA World Cup, with several big-name exclusions including Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White.

In Short

• Thomas Tuchel has announced England's squad for this summer's World Cup
• Notable exclusions include Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Gibbs-White
• England begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia in Dallas on June 17

England head coach Thomas Tuchel has named his 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with several high-profile players missing out ahead of this summer's tournament in North America. Among the biggest omissions are Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold, all of whom will watch the tournament from home after being left out of Tuchel's plans.

England begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia in Dallas on June 17 before facing Ghana on June 23 and Panama on June 27 in Group L.

Tuchel's first major tournament squad since taking over as England manager has already sparked debate due to a number of eye-catching exclusions. Along with Foden, Palmer and Alexander-Arnold, there was no place for Harry Maguire, Morgan Gibbs-White, Luke Shaw, Adam Wharton and James Garner.

Foden and Palmer are the most high-profile attacking absentees after difficult domestic campaigns with Manchester City and Chelsea respectively. Both players faced strong competition in attacking midfield and wide areas, with Tuchel opting for a different balance in his squad.

Alexander-Arnold's omission is another major decision from the England boss. The Real Madrid right-back has not featured regularly for England since last summer, and Tuchel ultimately decided against taking him to the World Cup.

The omission of Maguire also drew attention, especially after the defender reacted publicly on social media. The Manchester United centre-back said he was "shocked and gutted" to miss out after learning of Tuchel's decision before the official announcement. Information regarding several omissions had already leaked on the eve of the squad reveal, allowing many to piece together large parts of the squad beforehand.

One of the biggest surprises in the squad was the inclusion of Ivan Toney. The Al Ahli striker has barely featured under Tuchel and has played only two minutes for England since the German coach took charge. However, Toney's prolific scoring form in Saudi Arabia appears to have convinced Tuchel to hand him a recall.

Ollie Watkins has also returned to the squad after a strong end to the season with Aston Villa. Watkins has scored consistently since missing out on England's March squad and is expected to compete with Toney for the backup striker role behind captain Harry Kane.

Kane will once again lead England's attack as they chase a first World Cup title since 1966. Tuchel has also shown faith in a young and dynamic midfield group featuring Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Morgan Rogers and Elliot Anderson, all of whom impressed at club level this season.

There were also concerns over the fitness of some selected players. Tino Livramento was included despite missing the past month with a thigh injury, while Djed Spence earned a place despite reports that he suffered a broken jaw earlier this week.

ENGLAND SQUAD FOR FIFA WORLD CUP

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford

Defenders: Reece James, Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Dan Burn, Nico O'Reilly, Djed Spence, Tino Livramento

Midfielders: Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Jordan Henderson, Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze

Forwards: Harry Kane, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Noni Madueke

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