World Cup 2026: England Squad Announced with Surprise Recall for Ivan Toney

Tuchel names 26-man England

Tuchel has picked Guehi, Stones, Konsa, and Burn as his centre-backs, with Nico O'Reilly and Djed Spence at left-back for the warm-up matches and World Cup.

Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha, Fulham’s Josh King, and Bournemouth’s Alex Scott will travel with the squad for the warm-weather camp in Florida...

England manager Thomas Tuchel has named a preliminary 26-man squad for the World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada this June and July. The biggest absences are Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Real Madrid full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Palmer scored in England’s 2-1 loss to Spain in the EURO 2024 final. He is one of two Chelsea players to miss out, with Levi Colwill also left out as he continues to recover from a knee injury.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been left out again by Tuchel and has not been included in any of the manager’s squads this year. The Real Madrid defender has played just 27 minutes under the German and will miss the tournament.

  

After Harry Maguire said on Thursday that he was “shocked” to miss the warm-up matches against New Zealand and Costa Rica, Tuchel selected Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, John Stones, and Dan Burn as his four centre-backs. Jarell Quansah also received a call-up despite an average season with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.

Joining the #ThreeLions for our preparation camp in Miami 👇 https://t.co/vS7fdeEUgF pic.twitter.com/efblLzNX9C

— England (@England) May 22, 2026

In a statement released by England, Tuchel said of his selections: “It is truly exciting and a great privilege to be able to name an England squad for the World Cup. It has been a tough process to decide on the nomination, but I have full belief in this group of players.

“They all deserve their place. The squad and everyone involved with the team will give all we can to make the country proud. We know they are behind us, and we hope for a very special summer.”

Defence was the main topic of debate before the announcement. Tuchel has chosen Nico O'Reilly and Djed Spence for left-back, with Tino Livramento and Reece James set to compete for the right-back spot.

Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton was not included, and Phil Foden also misses out after a quiet season with Manchester City. Morgan Gibbs-White was left out too, despite finishing the campaign strongly with Nottingham Forest.

  

Jordan Pickford is likely to start in goal at his fifth major tournament. James Trafford and Dean Henderson will provide backup options.

  

Up front, Ivan Toney receives a surprise call-up. The former Brentford striker played a role in England’s run to the EURO 2024 final but hasn’t featured for the Three Lions since moving to Saudi Arabia to join Al Ahli. He’s been in strong form this season, scoring 42 goals across all competitions.

Three players will join the squad in Florida for the warm-weather training camp. Tuchel confirmed that Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha, Fulham’s Josh King, and Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott are the trio traveling with the team.

England were knocked out by France in the quarter-finals in Qatar four years ago. This time they begin their campaign on June 17 against Croatia in Group L, followed by matches against Ghana on June 23 and Panama on June 27.

ENGLAND SQUAD

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

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

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

Attackers: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Ivan Toney (Al Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, on loan from Manchester United), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle)