Manchester, May 22: Big names were left out of England’s World Cup squad on Friday, with Phil Foden and Cole Palmer notable omissions from Thomas Tuchel’s roster as the German-born coach underlined the importance of “team spirit and being unselfish” in the country’s bid for a first men’s title since 1966.
There was no place either for Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold or Manchester United duo Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw in the 26-man group headed to the tournament in United States, Canada and Mexico.“I think from day one, we were very clear that we are trying to select and build the best possible team, which is not necessarily to select and collect 26 most talented players,” Tuchel said, echoing his sentiments from previous squad announcements when he left out big names and insisted there were no guarantees for any player.
“Teams win championships. It’s as simple as that. And what we are trying to achieve in summer can only be achieved as a team.” Foden was the double player of the year in England with Manchester City just two years ago.
A surprise inclusion was Ivan Toney, who has only played once for his country since moving to the Saudi league after Euro 2024. (AP)
