Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad announcement has prompted sharp debate over England’s midfield composition. The depth of options is clear, but several high-profile omissions and a handful of trusted inclusions have defined the list.

Cole Palmer is the absence attracting most attention. Once considered a near-certain pick for North America, an injury-hit start to the 2025–26 campaign interrupted his rhythm. He never fully recovered amid the chaos at Stamford Bridge and has been brutally axed by ex-Blues boss Tuchel.

Nottingham Forest talisman Morgan Gibbs-White was also left out despite a remarkable goalscoring campaign; the 26-year-old appeared to have hit form at the perfect time. Manchester City’s Phil Foden is another notable absentee. Deeper in midfield, Adam Wharton’s omission surprised many after another fine season at Crystal Palace. Strong campaigns from Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Everton’s James Garner likewise went unrewarded.

Conor Gallagher and Curtis Jones, who have featured in previous squads, were judged not convincing enough this time. James Maddison never stood a chance after missing almost the entirety of the term through injury.

Jordan Henderson’s selection has drawn widespread ire. The 35-year-old is not even a guaranteed starter for Brentford, yet Tuchel has included him for his off-field character and leadership. “He’s unlikely to see too much game time, but he’s a valuable presence in the dressing room.” Whether that presence justifies a place is open to debate.

Among those who did make the cut, Kobbie Mainoo’s technical ability and progressive ball-carrying mark him out as a valuable midfield option after his Euro 2024 breakthrough. Ruben Amorim’s handling of the Manchester United youngster briefly threatened his place, but Michael Carrick’s subsequent reinvigoration returned him to consideration.

Eberechi Eze, typically deployed on the left wing for England but by trade an attacking midfielder, and Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, a powerful and direct attacking option, offer distinct profiles. Elliot Anderson’s early England impact suggested he can bridge defence and attack, providing the kind of transitional mettle England may need at a major tournament.

Pep Guardiola’s decision to leave Manchester City after a decade will force a recalculation across the game. His time at the Etihad has seen City dominate English soccer; the club later became the first in England to win four league titles in a row, and Guardiola’s 2022–23 treble matched Manchester United’s 1998–99 success.

This season, widely reported to be his last before City appoint former assistant coach and ex-Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, Guardiola has already delivered a domestic cup double. It could become a domestic treble if they can snatch the Premier League title from Arsenal.

Guardiola has previously spoken of a desire to manage a national team. “In our lives we have dreams of what we’d like to do in the future, but it doesn’t mean it’s going to happen,” Guardiola said at the time. “I would like to play a World Cup and a European Championship. I would like to live that situation. When I see the World Cup, I think I would like to be there. I had just one chance to do it as a player [in 1994]. In eight, 12, 14 years maybe it could happen. It’s just a dream I have as a manager and a person. Maybe it happens, maybe it doesn’t.” He was more cautious in 2024: “What I’m not going to do is leave Manchester City and go to another country. I wouldn’t have the energy to do so.” When asked specifically about Spain eight years ago he said he thought it was “not going to happen,” so that option remains uncertain.

Club and national options line up differently. Paris Saint-Germain could be possible if Luis Enrique moves on; Enrique has ended PSG’s Champions League hoodoo and Guardiola would have the chance to become the first manager to win the European Cup with three clubs, having already won it with two alongside Enrique, Jupp Heynckes, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Ernst Happel, José Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti.

Spain would be the most obvious national role given his playing history of 47 caps and captaining Spain to Olympic gold in 1992. Italy presents another attractive project after missing a third straight World Cup in 2026; Guardiola also played for Brescia and Roma. England is plausible in the longer term while Thomas Tuchel’s contract runs to after Euro 2028. Mexico, where El Tri have endured seven round-of-16 exits in the last eight tournaments and have not reached a quarterfinal in 40 years, is another option; Javier Aguirre is currently in his third spell. The United Arab Emirates could offer a developmental brief: the country has not reached a World Cup since 1990 and missed chances to qualify for 2026 against Qatar and Iraq.

Finally, Guardiola has shown he values time away from the game. When burnt out at Barcelona he took a year-long sabbatical living on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and said he loved having a relatively normal life away from Europe’s spotlight.

Jurgen Klopp has publicly backed Florian Wirtz to emerge as one of the standout players at the 2026 World Cup after a testing first season at Liverpool. Wirtz struggled to settle in a new league and country and endured intense scrutiny, including being branded a “little boy” by Gary Neville after a heavy defeat to Manchester City. Still, he is not viewed as the club’s poorest summer signing of 2025; that label has been reserved for Isak.

The Germany international finished the season with 17 goals and assists across all competitions for the Reds. Klopp believes the experience will serve Wirtz well and that the player can hit a higher level with Germany this summer. Wirtz started throughout qualifying, primarily on the left wing, and recently scored twice and assisted twice in a friendly victory over Switzerland.

“I hope Flo Wirtz will have a fantastic, fantastic World Cup,” Klopp told BBC Sport. “I think he has everything you need to be a standout player. I don’t want to put any pressure on the boy. I really think he showed already how good he can be in a difficult season.”

German supporters will hope Wirtz can lift his game as the four-time champions look to recover from the shock group-stage eliminations of 2018 and 2022. Liverpool are likely to supply a significant contingent to the tournament in North America: the club could have 12 players called up, including Wirtz. Squad numbers were reduced by injury and selection issues; Hugo Ekitiké is ruled out until 2027 with an Achilles injury and Curtis Jones is unlikely to be selected by England.

Klopp reflected on the personal connections that many former Liverpool players will bring to the competition. “I hope that Andy Robertson and Alisson Becker can enjoy that when they meet each other [for Scotland vs. Brazil]. Can you imagine that you play together for such a long time and Scotland qualifies first time, I don’t know since when, for the World Cup, and you meet each other, your friends, in a game like that? I mean, that must be one of the happiest moments in your life.

“I wish Virgil [van Dijk] will have a great tournament. I really wish for Mo [Salah] that he will have a great tournament. I honestly wish that Sadio [Mané] will have a great tournament. [Alexis Mac Allister], if he won, if they win it again. It was so nice to see him with a medal around his neck.

“So many [of my] former players are part of the World Cup, which is really, really nice.”

Those former Liverpool players named in connection with the tournament include Alisson Becker (Brazil), Wataru Endo (Japan), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands), Cody Gakpo (Netherlands), Jeremie Frimpong (Netherlands), Ryan Gravenberch (Netherlands), Ibrahima Konaté (France), Florian Wirtz (Germany), Alexander Isak (Sweden), Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina) and Mohamed Salah (Egypt).