England squad confirmed for 2026 World Cup: Winners and losers from Thomas Tuchel's selection as hugely controversial calls are made

England head coach Thomas Tuchel has confirmed his 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup, and there are some notable inclusions and exclusions from the party.

The Three Lions will face New Zealand and Costa Rica in their two pre-tournament friendlies on June 6 and June 10 respectively, before beginning their World Cup challenge on June 17.

England will take on Croatia in their tournament opener, before tackling Ghana on June 23 and then Panama on June 27, and Tuchel's side are certainly among the favourites for the trophy this summer.

Tuchel has made some hugely controversial calls, though, with a number of star names left out.

England squad: Maguire, Foden, Palmer among Tuchel's losers

Harry Maguire's absence from the squad has not come as a surprise considering that the Manchester United centre-back confirmed the news on Thursday evening.

“I was confident I could have played a major part this summer for my country after the season I’ve had,” Maguire posted on social media.

“I’ve been left shocked and gutted by the decision. I’ve loved nothing more than putting that shirt on and representing my country over the years. I wish the players all the best this summer.”

Maguire has been in excellent form for Man United since Michael Carrick's arrival as head coach in January, and he is one is on the wrong end of a major call from Tuchel, while Manchester City's Phil Foden and Chelsea's Cole Palmer - two of England's most talented attackers - have also been left out.

Foden and Palmer have both struggled for form this season, while Adam Wharton and Luke Shaw are also notable absentees, but Kobbie Mainoo does make it, with the midfielder rewarded for his turnaround at Man United since the departure of Ruben Amorim.

Lewis Hall also does not make it despite seemingly being considered a certainty at one point to not only be in the squad but also in the starting XI at left-back.

Morgan Gibbs-White has not been rewarded for his strong form at Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, with the attacker another notable absentee; Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold is also not selected.

Bournemouth's Alex Scott is another player who can count himself unlucky to be left out considering his form in the final months of the 2025-26 Premier League season.

England squad: Toney, Burn, Henderson, Madueke among Tuchel's winners

Ivan Toney is the surprise name in the final third of the field, with the 30-year-old rewarded for his strong form at Al-Ahli during the 2025-26 campaign.

The forward has 42 goals and 11 assists for Al-Ahli this term, but he has only scored once in seven appearances for England and has not been involved for the Three Lions since last May.

Toney will support captain Harry Kane, with Ollie Watkins also included as a forward option, which is not a surprise considering his form in recent months.

Jordan Henderson's experience has been favoured, with the 35-year-old named in the squad, as he looks to add to his 89 caps for the national side, while there is also a spot for Arsenal's Noni Madueke, who has only netted two Premier League goals this season.

Dan Burn, Djed Spence and Jarell Quansah are also all included as defensive options.

The likes of Jordan Pickford, Marc Guehi, Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were never in danger of being left out, with all five set to have vital roles to play this summer alongside Kane, who has scored 58 times in all competitions for Bayern Munich this season.

England squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Manchester City)

Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Marc Guehi (Manchester City), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), John Stones (Manchester City), Reece James (Chelsea), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur)

Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal)

Forwards: Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, loan from Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)

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