7 players Thomas Tuchel hasn't included in England World Cup squad who should feel hard done by
England manager Thomas Tuchel has defended his World Cup selection by insisting he has "specialists" in his squad, but some players could, and probably should, feel hard done by after being left out.
On Friday morning, Tuchel named his 26-man squad for this summer's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
There were several high-profile omissions among his final selection, including Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold, while several surprise names featured in the list, including Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney.
Toney, who has played a total of seven minutes under Tuchel, was picked alongside the likes of John Stones, Djed Spence, Jordan Henderson, Jarell Quansah and Noni Madueke.
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"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 the 26 most talented players," Tuchel said in his news conference on Friday.
Unsurprisingly, Tuchel's announcement is the talk of social media, with many questioning some of his more notable omissions, so, after a morning to dwell on the situation, here are seven players we believe should be on that plane.
Alex Scott
Given his performances for Bournemouth this season, Scott deserved a place in Tuchel's squad.
The 22-year-old midfielder, who has featured in every Premier League game this season, played a huge role in helping the Cherries secure European football for the first time in the club’s 127-year history.
As well as being defensively sound, Scott's composure in the middle of the park, combined with his ability to receive the ball under pressure and carry forward, would have helped England massively this summer.
The good news is that Scott will travel with the squad to the United States in June as part of their preparation squad alongside Rio Ngumoha and Josh King.
Speaking in his press conference on Friday, Tuchel was full of praise for the midfielder. "I am happy that these guys are with us, especially Alex who was on the list of 55 and had a disappointing phone call as well that he didn't make the first cut," he said.
"But the reaction of him was outstanding, the commitment and wish to be in pre-camp and be a step closer to the team – it was not even a question for him. It showed me his character and his spirit and I am delighted he is with us because it was close call."
James Garner
Another midfielder who should feel especially hard done by after missing out on the 26-man squad.
Garner has been Everton's standout performer across the 2025-26 campaign. In fact, no player in the Premier League has made more tackles (116) or interceptions (58) than the 25-year-old this season, a testament to his form.
The former Manchester United midfielder has added another layer to his game in recent months, helping David Moyes' side break the lines with some defence-splitting passes. In total, he's picked up seven assists and two goals.
After Tuchel called Garner "our mini Valverde" after his debut against Uruguay in March, many expected a call-up to the World Cup, including Wayne Rooney. "I think he'll be on the plane [to the World Cup]," he said in March.
David Moyes, meanwhile, says he wasn't surprised by Garner's omission. "I think our form in the last five or six weeks hasn't encouraged anyone to really go and focus on our players," he said.
Morgan Gibbs-White
Thomas Tuchel's decision to drop one of the Premier League's most in-form players from his squad has baffled the majority.
This season, no Englishman has scored more league goals than Gibbs-White (14), while some of his efforts in recent months – against Porto, Tottenham and Man City, to name a few – have come in high-pressure situations.
The 26-year-old is, without a shadow of a doubt, a big-game player; someone who England could rely on when the going gets tough, which it inevitably will at one stage this summer.
To put his numbers into perspective, Gibbs-White has twice as many goals and assists in the league in 2026 as any of his rival No 10s, including Morgan Rodgers, Jude Bellingham and Eberechi Eze.
But instead of taking a player who was recently shortlisted for the Premier League Player of the Year, Tuchel has decided against bringing one of England's best ball-carriers to the World Cup. A questionable call.
Lewis Hall
Hall wasn't dribbled past once in 90 minutes when he faced Lamine Yamal in the Champions League this season. He also created the most chances on the pitch that night.
It was a performance that summed up why Hall should have been included in Tuchel's latest squad. As well as dealing with one of the world's best players, the 21-year-old gave Newcastle an attacking edge going forward.
Unsurprisingly, a number of clubs are monitoring Hall ahead of the summer window, including Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Liverpool, according to TeamTALK.
"I think he has had a really good season," said Eddie Howe this month. "He had a really, really good middle part of the season where he was very consistent, played regularly, looked physically really good and put in some eye-catching displays."
However, the 21-year-old will watch England's World Cup campaign at home, with Tottenham's Djed Spence getting the nod instead alongside Tino Livramento and Dan Burn, who could also provide cover at left-back.
Harry Maguire
Maguire was the first player to speak out after being left out of Tuchel's plans.
"I was confident I could of played a major part this summer for my country after the season I’ve had. I’ve been left shocked and gutted by the decision," said Maguire. "I’ve loved nothing more than putting that shirt on and representing my country over the years."
He's got a point. The 33-year-old has played a crucial role for Manchester United in their bid to secure Champions League football, with Michael Carrick's side losing just twice in the Premier League since January.
In addition, Maguire has the highest aerial-duel success (75.3%) in the Premier League this season, according to WhoScored, and has played 1,200 minutes more than John Stones, who was selected by Tuchel.
The centre-back, who has 66 caps for his country, would have brought valuable tournament experience after appearing at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Adam Wharton
Instead of providing a detailed explanation as to why Wharton deserved a place in England's 26-man squad, I'll leave you with a fitting quote from Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner.
“Every manager has a different view on what they want from a central midfielder,” Glasner told iNews this week. “I don’t know exactly what Thomas Tuchel wants. He’s played most of the time with Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson, maybe a little bit more physical, more dynamic and more box-to-box.
“On the other side, if he wants somebody to accelerate the game, that is what Adam can do.
"If nobody sees a free player on the pitch, Adam sees him and finds him. With his one-touch passes and line-breaking passes, I think he’s one of the best – not just in England, but in the world. If you want this kind of quality, you pick Adam.”
He did not pick Adam.
Danny Welbeck
It has been almost eight years since Danny Welbeck played a game for his country and it begs the question; what more can he do?
The 35-year-old, who is one of the Premier League's top scorers this season with 13 goals, was included in England's provisional 55-man squad following an impressive campaign with Brighton but in the end, he was overlooked.
Instead, Tuchel opted for Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney, who had been left out of the past four squads before being selected to play in this summer's World Cup.
“I had fantastic feedback from his club coach (Al-Ahli's Matthias Jaissle), who was my player (at Stuttgart), about his role, ability, fitness," said Tuchel on Toney's call-up. "You could see he still collects the numbers. Natural finisher, world-class penalty-taker, good in the air."
Welbeck has every right to feel hard done by. He was recently crowned Brighton's Players' Player of the Season after arguably the best season of his career to date. The right call?
Topics: England, Thomas Tuchel, FIFA World Cup
Jack Kenmare