England leave Foden and Palmer out of World Cup squad
LONDON: England will head to next month’s World Cup without several familiar faces after midfielders Phil Foden and Cole Palmer and defender Trent Alexander-Arnold all missed the cutfor manager Thomas Tuchel’s 26-man squad on Friday. There was a surprise recall, however, for former Brentford striker Ivan Toney despite him playing only seven minutes of international football since Euro 2024. Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo was selected after a return to form in the second half of the season but there was no place for his United teammate Harry Maguire who has been a mainstay of England’s defense in recent tournaments. United’s Luke Shaw also missed out but Manchester City defender John Stones has been selected for his sixth tournament despite making only a handful of league appearances this season. Real Madrid right back Alexander-Arnold has featured only once since Tuchel took charge of England in January 2025 and his omission was not a surprise. Brentford’s veteran midfielder Jordan Henderson, a firm favorite of Tuchel for his leadership qualities, becomes only the second England player to make four World Cup squads after 1966 World Cup winner Bobby Charlton.
