Thomas Tuchel has defended his controversial England 2026 World Cup squad after leaving out Harry Maguire, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden, insisting he has picked “the best possible team” rather than simply collecting the 26 most talented players.
The England manager confirmed his squad at Wembley on Friday, with several high-profile names missing from the group heading to the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Maguire had already revealed his disappointment after learning that he would not be part of Tuchel’s plans, saying he was “shocked and gutted” by the decision.
Palmer and Foden have also missed out, while Luke Shaw and Morgan Gibbs-White were among the other notable omissions from the final 26-man squad.
England qualified for the World Cup in dominant fashion, winning all eight games in Group K without conceding a goal.
But Tuchel has still made some bold calls before his first major tournament in charge, with Ivan Toney earning a surprise recall and Djed Spence included as one of the full-back options.
Asked about Maguire’s public response to being left out, Tuchel admitted he had not expected the Manchester United defender to react so strongly.
Thomas Tuchel speaks out on Harry Maguire
“I was a bit surprised,” Tuchel said.
“I respect his personality a lot. I respect his quality a lot and I can see the reason behind the disappointment.
“Still, I was a bit surprised because we had a private conversation and he had the chance to express his feelings, which he did.
“This is fair enough because I can see all the reasons why he could be in the squad. But the decision is that we stood firmly with our central defenders that carried us through September, October, November.
“It was a decision for these 26 players, even if it feels that it’s against individuals.”
Tuchel selected Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, John Stones, Jarell Quansah and Dan Burn among his defensive options, with Reece James, Tino Livramento, Nico O’Reilly and Spence also included.
The England manager made it clear that he wanted balance, defined roles and squad cohesion, even if that meant leaving some of the country’s most familiar names at home.
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“Teams win championships”
“We are trying to select and build the best possible team, which is not necessarily to select and collect the 26 most talented players,” Tuchel said.
“Teams win championships. It’s as simple as that.
“And what we are trying to achieve this summer can only be achieved as a team. With that in mind, we chose a very balanced squad.”
Tuchel accepted that the depth of English talent made omissions unavoidable.
“It was a given that from these 55 provisional players, we have to leave some extraordinary talent, some extraordinary personalities at home,” he added.
“Either way, if we would have picked all these names, some other big names would have been out. It comes with the job.
“I like these kinds of decisions, even if they took us weeks and sometimes months to clarify. I think they bring clarity and I think they bring, in the end, a certain edge.
“I tried to explain the reasons why the players could be in camp. Did they do anything wrong? No. Could they be in camp? Yes, one hundred per cent sure.
“But, for some of them, it’s just the amount of players in a certain position. We didn’t want to play the players out of position so much, and we want to give them a clear role.”
Toney’s inclusion is one of the most eye-catching decisions, with the Al-Ahli striker chosen alongside Harry Kane and Ollie Watkins.
Tuchel said Toney came back into his thinking because of the different profile he can offer.
Ivan Toney a surprise inclusion
“It was a bit of a surprise to us,” Tuchel said.
“When it came down to all different types of scenarios, he was back in the picture.
“I heard good feedback from Matthias, my former player and Toney’s head coach in Saudi Arabia, about his ability, about his fitness. We could see he still collects the numbers.
“I think he has very special skills that could help us. That could mean when we’re chasing a goal, he can be a good addition to Kane, a presence in the box when we’re pushing for a goal.
“He can take attention away from other strikers. He can help us from set pieces, he’s strong with his body, and a world-class penalty taker, so he has some boxes ticked.”
Spence also earned a place after impressing Tuchel, despite not being a regular starter at Tottenham.
Tuchel described the full-back as “special” and said his pace gives England a different option.
“He is the fastest player in the England squad,” Tuchel said.
“He is a special full-back for us and can play both sides.
“We spoke in March that he was not getting minutes and he had to prove himself in March, which he did as he was excellent against Uruguay and that was the decision that I can really trust him.”
The squad will travel to North America with a manager who has now made it clear reputation will not guarantee a place.
England’s full World Cup 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)
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