5 Takeaways From England's World Cup Roster Selection

Let's first begin with some golden musical history. In February 1964, America witnessed the first-ever arrival of four floppy-haired lads from Liverpool. Those four long-haired musicians would embark on a two-week trip that would forever change America as The Beatles launched the famous "British Invasion" that sent America’s youth into a frenzy.  

I start with this because this is the motivational theme adopted by the England national team for this summer’s World Cup as their squad announcement was centered around "Come Together," the opening track from the iconic band's 1969 album Abbey Road. Now, it will be the summer’s purposeful mantra for a team arriving looking to win its first World Cup trophy in 60 years.   

Thomas Tuchel's 26-man roster did not come without surprises and there were some notable, somewhat ruthless omissions. In fact, I will go as far to say — as someone who carries this nation deep in my heart (both personally and professionally) — this is the most relentless squad decision-making from an England manager I have seen in nearly 30 years. 

Here are my takeaways:

1. Tuchel Revels In ‘Tough Decisions’ …

Thomas Tuchel, England manager. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)

Before we dive into the roster, there is a key lesson here about Tuchel: He wasn't wasting time for any player to rediscover their form. For him, the way to reinvent the identity of the squad is by diversifying it. And if you know Tuchel, you somewhat knew this was coming. 

Cutting the squad to 26 players was always going to be a dilemma for the German manager because only France ranks above the Three Lions, in my opinion, in terms of the deepest talent pool out of any national team at the World Cup. 

"I love the tough decisions," said the German manager after the announcement.

No truer words have been said. Tuchel, quite simply, doesn’t care about popularity votes. It has never been his style as he is a pragmatist, always thinking about the goal without an ounce of emotion, so these absences from the squad, however folks may agree or disagree, are done militantly.

"We went back to the evidence we had — in September, October, November, the leadership group and the team had very few changes in November…that felt we had a bit of fresh air, younger players who played with excitement," said Tuchel. "It was a good mix of young and old and brought the best out of the players. We want to recreate that spirit."

When you have a deep selection, it can be a tricky obstacle as the rosters are not always about talent, but rather positional suitability. And that’s Tuchel’s main task, to create not a good team, not even a great one—but one that can come together and win it all. 

2. … And That Led To Some Harsh Choices. 

Cole Palmer and Phil Foden will be watching the World Cup from home (Getty Images)

Among the omissions, 25-year-old Phil Foden stands out. The Manchester City attacking midfielder has been part of the last three major tournaments for England and played 49 times for the national team, but he has been too inconsistent for Man City this season, having started only 22 times in the Premier League for Pep Guardiola’s side. 

"I would say he was excellent in camp but, yeah, he struggles to show it on the pitch," said Tuchel after Foden was given his chance against Uruguay and Japan in the March international window. 

He is clearly a talented star who has done so much in the past, but his specific position and area on the pitch is just too crowded and in order to be selected, he had to be at his best, which he wasn’t in 2025-20226. 

And what about Cole Palmer? A player who scored in the 2024 Euros final against Spain and was once labeled as a shoo-in not just for the World Cup, but to start as England’s No. 10. He was named 2023-24 Young Player of the Season, so his rise was explosive. His unfortunate struggles, however, are essentially a result of ongoing groin and toe injuries that have really impeded his role for Chelsea. Quite simply, he’s currently not the same player he was. 

Another snub is Morgan Gibbs-White. I feel for the Nottingham Forest star because he has scored more goals (14) than any other English player aside from Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins in the Premier League this season. And he’s not even a striker. It just shows how important he has been for the Tricky Trees and their up-and-down season. I am not sure if that was the correct decision from Tuchel, but I think he opted for more wide-focused players than Gibbs-White. Regardless, it’s harsh on him because he truly did everything possible to be counted.
 

3. Big Changes At The Back

Harry Maguire of England was another tough cut. (Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images)

England’s backline will be somewhat reinvented for the World Cup, that’s for sure.

The major defensive talking points were the absences of Harry Maguire and Trent Alexander-Arnold. For me, Maguire was the biggest omission that raises questions because if you’re selecting Newcastle United's Dan Burn as your left-sided center back for certain characteristics (physicality, leadership, experience, strength in set-piece situations), then Maguire has the same exact boxes ticked. He's also done at major moments for England and has been a huge presence since the 2018 World Cup. The Manchester United defender is also younger than Burn so the age component goes out of the window.

Alexander-Arnold doesn’t shock me as much because he has been very inconsistent since moving to Real Madrid from Liverpool, and the fullback was always a forgotten priority for Tuchel. Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly and Newcastle's Lewis Hall should be disappointed for being left out.

4. Harry Kane Leads. What About The Rest Of The Attack?

England's attack will revolve around Harry Kane. (Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

Harry Kane is the undisputed starter up top and now has a taste for domestic silverware with his second straight Bundesliga title at Bayern Munich and an astounding 146 goals in 143 appearances for the German club. 

Playing in Saudi Arabia has apparently paid off because Ivan Toney, who plays for Saudi Pro League club Al Ahli, made the cut. His numbers are very impressive, as he has 42 goals and 11 assists in 37 appearances, but he has only played seven minutes for Tuchel. 

Ollie Watkins, however, remains the second choice to Kane. The best thing that could have ever happened to the Aston Villa striker was not being called in March for the international friendlies. Since then, he ignited a fire that helped his club earn a Champions League spot and win the Europa League final.

The wide areas are also key as Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke take over the right wing, whilst Marcus Rashford — excellent for Barcelona — and Newcastle's Anthony Gordon will battle it out for the opposite flank.

5. Expect Competition In The Midfield

It's anyone's guess who the midfield could shape up. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Aside from Arsenal's Declan Rice, I don’t think anyone else has a guaranteed starting role in England’s midfield. Eliott Anderson, who is probably leaving Nottingham Forest this summer, is most likely next to the aforementioned Rice as they did in qualifiers but Kobie Mainoo has been in great form since Michael Carrick’s arrival at Manchester United, so there’s that to contemplate. Tuchel also loves veteran Jordan Henderson, who was never missing out.

In front of them? The question once again will be between Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers, who just won his first major piece of silverware with Aston Villa thanks to their Europa League triumph. Arsenal's Eberechi Eze also offers something for the German to think about.

All in all, this is an England side where there is no room for niceties. Tuchel wanted to breathe new life and mix it with experience. Some choices are justified, some are questionable. But in the end, all that matters is that they come together (I promise this is the last time) in order to finally win their first World Cup trophy since 1966.