The die is cast — Tuchel’s England squad is here!

This is not what we expected! At least not to this extent. Thomas Tuchel took the scissors out, started cutting, and produced an England squad list that left a large part of Europe stunned. To be clear, the Three Lions are still an incredibly powerful side, led by captain Harry Kane alongside Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham, but since insider reports about the omissions began surfacing last night, the English public has not stopped debating Tuchel’s bold and controversial decisions.

On January 1st, 2025, the Football Association appointed the German coach with one mission — bring football home and deliver England’s first World Cup title since 1966. Tuchel’s squad selection creates only two possible outcomes.

If England, considered one of the top five favourites, wins the World Cup, the German tactician will be crowned a football genius. But if the Three Lions disappoint or, even worse, collapse completely, the English media and fans will turn on him instantly. His head would practically have a bounty on it, like in the Wild West.

So what caused all the controversy? Trent Alexander-Arnold, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Harry Maguire were all left out, while perhaps the biggest injustice was done to Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White, who is enjoying the season of his life and is one of the eight nominees for Premier League MVP.

Several of Tuchel’s calls sparked huge reactions, especially the inclusions of Ivan Toney, Dan Burn and Djed Spence.

Many believe no Tottenham player deserved a place in the England squad after such a disastrous season, and the decision to select Djed Spence instead of Trent Alexander-Arnold only made things worse in the eyes of supporters.

It is true that Real Madrid’s starting right-back played only 26 minutes under Tuchel, against Andorra, but with Ben White injured, many expected Trent to make the squad for the trip to North America. Clearly, Tuchel is not convinced by Alexander-Arnold’s defensive weaknesses and instead opted for Spence, naturally a left-back who can also play on the right. To make matters even more dramatic, the Tottenham defender recently suffered a fractured jaw against Chelsea and will travel to the World Cup wearing a protective mask.

"Shocked and gutted": Maguire's World Cup dream ends in heartbreak

Another puzzling decision was choosing Newcastle giant Dan Burn — and even Jarell Quansah — ahead of Harry Maguire. Despite years of criticism and ridicule, Maguire actually enjoyed a strong season at Manchester United. Experience, leadership, form and even his ability in penalty shootouts were all arguments in his favour.

“I’m shocked! I was convinced I could play an important role for my country this summer after the season I had. This decision broke me. I wish the players all the best,” Maguire reportedly said after learning he would not be travelling to the United States.

Perhaps Tuchel’s riskiest gamble is Ivan Toney. The German coach clearly could not ignore the striker’s incredible numbers for Al Ahli — 42 goals and 11 assists in 49 matches across all competitions. While many question how relevant Saudi Pro League statistics really are, the real issue is squad balance.

Harry Kane is the undisputed first-choice striker, with Ollie Watkins as his backup, meaning many fans believe one of the omitted attacking midfielders — Foden, Palmer or Gibbs-White — should have gone instead of Toney.

If Jordan Henderson’s inclusion at the age of 35 seems questionable, think again. Henderson is enjoying a respectable campaign at Brentford, this will be his fourth World Cup appearance, and his experience plus authority could prove vital both on the pitch and inside the dressing room.

It became obvious during the season that Morgan Rogers would make the plane to the United States after producing the football of his life. Kobbie Mainoo benefited enormously from Ruben Amorim’s January departure and Michael Carrick’s arrival at Manchester United.

Jude Bellingham remains one of England’s biggest stars despite a somewhat underwhelming season at Real Madrid, while Marcus Rashford jokingly thanked Hansi Flick, Thomas Tuchel, Unai Emery, Barcelona, Aston Villa and England on social media for continuing to believe in him.

ENGLAND’S FINAL WORLD CUP SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Manchester City)

Defenders: Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), John Stones (Manchester City), Marc Guehi (Manchester City), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Djed Spence (Tottenham), Tino Livramento (Newcastle)

Midfielders: Declan Rice (Arsenal), Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal)

Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Ivan Toney (Al Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Noni Madueke (Arsenal)