Thomas Tuchel has made his first major World Cup call for England, leaving Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold out of the squad he is shaping for 2026. The omissions are the clearest sign yet that the England manager intends to draw hard lines before the tournament, even with a team that finished qualifying with a perfect record.
The timing matters because fans are already searching for what channel is the world cup on and, just as importantly, what version of England they will actually get when the matches begin. Tuchel has kept the bigger aim simple since his unveiling in October 2024: to try and put a second star on the shirt. England’s next confirmed dates are fixed too, with Croatia in Dallas on 17 June 2026, Ghana in Boston on 23 June and Panama in New York/New Jersey on 27 June.
Tuchel’s selection still carries surprises. Ivan Toney is in, and England are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 system, a setup that suggests structure and directness will matter as much as reputation. Jude Bellingham remains central to that picture, and Tuchel’s relationship with him will need handling carefully after the midfielder helped England beat New Zealand and Costa Rica in warm-up matches in Florida.
That is the tension running through this squad. England cruised through qualifying with eight wins from eight games, 22 goals scored and none conceded, but Tuchel said this week they still cannot be considered among the favourites because they have not won the tournament for so long. He put it bluntly: there are proven winners in the competition, and those are the sides he sees as the favourites. It is a striking message from a coach brought in after a string of near misses under Gareth Southgate, and it undercuts the idea that perfect qualifying alone can make England a World Cup force.
Tuchel has also extended his contract through Euro 2028, which gives him time to impose his ideas beyond one tournament. But the real test begins in June, when the group stage will show whether these bold omissions were a sign of control or a gamble that costs England rhythm against stronger opposition. After beating Costa Rica, Tuchel called the coming tournament “an amazing experience” in waiting. For England, the question is whether it becomes that, or something harder to explain.
