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what star players were not on the england world cup squad

Quick Scoop: Star Players Left Out of England’s 2026 World Cup Squad

England manager Thomas Tuchel made several high-profile omissions when naming his 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, leaving out a number of established stars who had featured prominently in recent tournaments.

Notable Omissions

Attackers and Midfielders

  • Phil Foden – Once a regular starter for England, the Manchester City star was dropped after a significant dip in form during the 2025–26 season.
  • Cole Palmer – The Chelsea forward, who scored in the Euro 2024 final, missed out due to fierce competition in his position.
  • Trent Alexander-Arnold – Despite his attacking prowess and crossing ability, the Real Madrid right-back was overlooked in favor of more defensively robust options like Reece James and Tino Livramento.
  • Jarrod Bowen – The West Ham winger, a key player for club and country, was left out as Tuchel preferred Noni Madueke and other attacking options.
  • Morgan Gibbs-White – The Nottingham Forest midfielder, in strong form in 2026, was not selected as Tuchel opted for Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers instead.
  • Adam Wharton – The Crystal Palace midfielder, part of England’s Euro 2024 squad, missed out as Kobbie Mainoo was preferred.

Defenders

  • Harry Maguire – The Manchester United centre-back, one of England’s most experienced defenders, was surprisingly omitted despite a strong season, with Tuchel choosing John Stones and others ahead of him.
  • Luke Shaw – The Manchester United left-back, a regular at recent tournaments, was left out in favor of younger options like Nico O’Reilly.
  • Levi Colwill – The Chelsea defender, who has struggled with injury, did not make the cut.

Goalkeepers

  • Nick Pope – The Newcastle United goalkeeper, a previous England international, was not selected, with Jason Steele named only as a training goalkeeper.

Other Notable Names

  • Lewis Hall (Newcastle United)
  • James Garner (Everton)
  • Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United)
  • Danny Welbeck (Brighton)
  • Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal)

Why Were They Left Out?

Tuchel emphasized form, tactical fit, and competition for places as key factors in his selections. Several players, such as Foden and Alexander- Arnold, were deemed out of form or not suited to the manager’s system, while others like Maguire and Shaw were overlooked in favor of younger or more trusted options.

TL;DR

England’s 2026 World Cup squad saw big names like Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harry Maguire, and Luke Shaw left out by Thomas Tuchel, with form, tactical choices, and competition for places cited as reasons.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.