Thomas Tuchel Names England Squad for 2026 World Cup, Excluding Maguire and Shaw

Earlier this morning, news broke of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the 2026 World Cup set to take place this summer.

As expected, both Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford have made the cut, with Mainoo becoming essential in the heart of midfield at Old Trafford, and Rashford helping Barcelona to win the LaLiga title.

However, yesterday, ahead of the England list being revealed, news broke that both Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw were to be left out of the squad by Thomas Tuchel.

Responding to the selection on X, Maguire commented, “I was confident I could have 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.”

The caption continued: “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.”

However, now, with his full list officially released, Thomas Tuchel has responded to the comments from the veteran defender.

Discussing the comments from Harry Maguire on the official England app for the 2026 World Cup, Tuchel said: “I was a bit surprised, but I respect his personality a lot, I respect his quality a lot.”

He continued: “He had a quality season. I can understand the disappointment. I can see the reason behind the disappointment.

“Still, I was a bit surprised as we had a private conversation. He had the chance to express his feelings, which he did.

“This is fair enough because I can see all the reasons why he could be in the squad. But the decision is that we stood firmly without central defenders that carried us through September, October, November…

“Some of them are part of a leadership group that took ownership and set the standards high… and it was a decision for these 26 players, even if it feels as if it’s against these players.”