England manager Thomas Tuchel has revealed his 26-man squad for this summer’s FIFA World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
The most notable absentees are Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Maguire, with Morgan Gibbs-White, Adam Wharton, Lewis Hall and Jarrod Bowen also missing the cut.
Ivan Toney, Kobbie Mainoo, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Jarell Quansah, John Stones and Jordan Henderson have all made it onto the plane, while Tino Livramento and Djed Spence are surprise selections given recent injury setbacks.
England begin their Group L campaign against Croatia on June 17 before facing Ghana on June 23 and Panama on June 27.
England’s 2026 World Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Manchester City)
Defenders: Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), John Stones (Manchester City), Marc Guehi (Manchester City), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Djed Spence (Tottenham), Tino Livramento (Newcastle)
Midfielders: Declan Rice (Arsenal), Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Noni Madueke (Arsenal)
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Tuchel backs ‘best possible team’
“From day one, we were clear we were trying to build the best possible team, which is not necessarily the 26 most talented players,” Tuchel explained during a press conference on Friday.
“Teams win championships, and what we’re trying to achieve can only be achieved as a team.
“We have players ready and committed to the idea of team spirit and being unselfish.
“We have specialists for different scenarios – when we’re leading, when we’re chasing a result.
“We have always said we want to be a strong set-piece team, so we have specialists for that, and we want to be a strong penalty team, [so] we have specialists for that.”
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Number of big names omitted
Asked about the notable names that were omitted from his squad, Tuchel said: “I’m very confident in the group we chose.
“Very difficult decisions. Painful conversations. Difficult to explain to the players. But what we try to achieve, we achieve as a team.
“If everyone is selected, it’s a given we have to leave some extraordinary players and extraordinary personalities at home.
“I like these decisions – even if they took us weeks, months. They bring clarity, a certain edge that is necessary.
“For some of them, it’s just the amount of players in a certain position. We want to give [the players] a clear role.”
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Three Lions’ World Cup chances
Regarding England’s chances at the upcoming World Cup, Tuchel was openly optimistic.
“I can dream,” he admitted.
“But very quickly you go back and chop it up into steps you can influence.
“In March last year, we said to the players: ‘let’s try to win it’.
“I strongly believe if the energy and the commitment is right, this is really a brotherhood – the fans will notice and see.
“Let’s play with hunger, with excitement. The goal is clear. But the focus will now be on the 10 days of camp … otherwise it’s a lot to digest.”
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SportJustSport writers 
Ella Magyar