A current England international has claimed that he has no plans to speak to Donald Trump at the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Thomas Tuchel and England’s preparations are well underway ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will take place across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
And despite having World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania to come during the November international break, Tuchel’s side may be allowed to experiment with tactics, systems, and some new players such as Bournemouth’s Alex Scott - who received his first senior call-up to the Three Lions last week - as they have already secured their spot at the tournament.
Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden regained their spots in the national team, having missed out on Tuchel’s last squad back in October.
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However, Jack Grealish and Trent Alexander-Arnold missed out, with Chelsea’s Reece James and Spurs’ Djed Spence preferred to the Real Madrid full-back, who has recently returned to fitness after sustaining a hamstring injury earlier this season.
James has an excellent relationship with Tuchel, having worked with the German during his time at Chelsea between 2021 and 2022.
Despite earning his first England cap in 2020, the 25-year-old boasts just one tournament appearance – in Euro 2020 – for the Three Lions as he missed both Euro 2024 and the 2022 World Cup due to injuries.
Providing he stays fit, James will likely be England’s first-choice right-back next summer, and he already has experience of playing in the challenging conditions in the US, as he helped Chelsea win the Club World Cup in the States in the summer of 2025.
Of course, aside from the blistering heat, which will likely prove tough to deal with for the 48 teams taking part, President Trump will be front and centre like he was after Chelsea’s Club World Cup final victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
As Enzo Maresca’s side lifted the trophy, the 79-year-old stood alongside them on the podium despite FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s best efforts to usher him away.
Several Chelsea stars appeared baffled, with Cole Palmer admitting that he was “a bit confused” while Levi Colwill explained how he was told that Trump “was going to present the trophy and then exit” but this did not happen as the president “wanted to stay”.
So, given his newfound affinity for the Premier League side and their players, it would not be surprising to see Trump chatting to a Chelsea player at the World Cup.
Still, according to James, he is not prepared to chat with the American.
As reported by the Standard, when asked if he’ll speak to Trump on the winners’ podium if England win the tournament, James said: “No! I don’t have a plan. I’ll leave that to Harry [Kane]!”
The Three Lions face Serbia at Wembley on Thursday before they travel to face Albania on Sunday.
Topics: Reece James, England, Donald Trump, Football
Luke Davies