Thomas Tuchel has yet to formally announce the 26-player squad that will represent England at the 2026 World Cup in North America, but the culling process has already begun. One of the most surprising names on the chopping block is Harry Maguire, whose exclusion has caught many off guard ahead of the tournament in Mexico, Canada and the United States.
The official squad announcement is scheduled for Friday, May 22, but Tuchel has been quietly delivering the difficult news to those who will not be making the trip. The report of Maguire’s omission was first broken by talkSport‘s Alex Crook and subsequently confirmed by the Manchester United defender himself.
In a statement posted to his social media, Maguire made his feelings clear: “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. I’ve loved nothing more than putting that shirt on and representing my country over the years. I wish the players, all the best this summer.“
Since Tuchel took charge of the Three Lions at the start of 2025, Maguire was initially unavailable due to a calf injury, and once fit, he went on to miss eight additional international fixtures before finally working his way back into contention during the March break.
He played the full 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw against Uruguay before making a brief seven-minute appearance in the shocking 1-0 defeat to Japan. Those cameos marked his first appearances for England since September 2024 under interim manager Lee Carsley, but they were not enough to persuade Tuchel to include him in the World Cup plans.
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Since his debut against Lithuania in October 2017, Maguire accumulated 66 international appearances, contributing seven goals and two assists, and was part of the squad that reached the 2018 World Cup semifinal and finished runners-up at Euro 2020. Now 33, and likely to be 35 by the time Euro 2028 comes around, his international career may well have reached its end.
Who will take Maguire’s place in the squad?
With Maguire out of the picture, attention turns to who will cover the center back positions for England at the tournament. Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa and Manchester City’s Marc Guéhi are expected to be Tuchel’s two first-choice starters in that department, leaving limited room for additional options.
Dan Burn has also been a regular in Tuchel’s setups and is widely expected to make the final squad. Meanwhile, the status of John Stones remains uncertain, and Chelsea’s Levi Colwill is also believed to be in contention for a place despite dealing with injury issues this season, according to talkSport.
