Tuchel's England World Cup squad: Foden and Palmer out, Toney in
Thomas Tuchel has named his 26-man England squad for the 2026 World Cup at a Wembley Stadium press conference, with the most striking absences being Phil Foden of Manchester City and Cole Palmer of Chelsea, and the most notable inclusion the recall of Ivan Toney from Saudi side Al-Ahli. The announcement closes a debate that has run through the entire Premier League season about form, reputation and role.
Tuchel's reasoning was partly disclosed at the unveiling. The German coach said he wanted 'specialists designed for specific jobs' and that the structure of the squad responds 'to the collective need for balance, not to the star narrative of any single player'. The 10 and false-nine positions in which Foden and Palmer have most often featured have been allocated to Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham respectively.
The goalkeeping choices were as expected: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson and James Trafford. For defence, Tuchel signalled that Manchester United captain Harry Maguire will retain the armband; Maguire, who has lost only two of his last 47 club appearances including a brief loan spell, brings what the head coach called 'the wrist leadership that anchors our dressing-room identity'.
In midfield, Declan Rice, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham form the core trio. Newcastle's Anthony Gordon is included alongside Brighton's Adam Lallana, while Mason Mount has been a surprise inclusion after rediscovering form at Manchester United with nine goal contributions in 28 league matches.
The attacking selections held the biggest surprise. Toney's call-up from Saudi Arabia signalled that Tuchel is reading 'game data rather than league prestige': his 41 goals in 64 Al-Ahli appearances over 18 months, taken alongside aerial and defensive contribution metrics, swayed the staff. Toney joins Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) and Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins in the forward line.
The list of those left out generated heated discussion. Foden, the historic Premier League Golden Boot winner in 2023-24 and again contender this season with 12 goals and nine assists, was omitted on the grounds that he 'does not match the role definition we need', according to Tuchel. Palmer was cited as suffering 'a drop in the final three months at Chelsea'.
Reaction from supporters' groups has been mixed. Geoff Pearson of the England Supporters Travel Club told BBC Sport that 'leaving Foden out can be defended, but the absence of Palmer is harder to justify'. Former England captain Steven Gerrard, speaking on ITV, called the decision 'brave' and added that 'the hardest message for a young player to hear is that their country is not theirs'.
England's World Cup draw placed them in Group C alongside the Netherlands, Algeria and Iran. The opening fixture will be played at Toronto's BMO Field against Iran on Friday 12 June 2026; Tuchel said 'Group C is a classic trap group; we have no spark to lose'.
The pre-tournament training camp begins on 1 June at St George's Park and ends on 6 June with a friendly against Senegal at Villa Park in Birmingham. Team doctor Mark Wilson told BBC Sport that 'the squad's average age is 26.4 and we have 18 players who have not missed a significant block of football in three seasons'.
Speaking after the first session, Bellingham said: 'I feel for Phil and Cole, but it is our responsibility to convert these selections into team identity'. Tuchel's most lasting phrase at Wembley was perhaps the simplest: 'Medals are not won alone; we have spread the shared load between us.'