Thomas Tuchel is set to name his England squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup this morning, and if the rumours are true, there are set to be some controversial calls.
Harry Maguire hasalready confirmed his snub, while Cole Palmer and Phil Foden are among the big names reportedly set to miss out. It wouldn’t be the first time that an England manager has left high-profile players at home for a World Cup.
Tony Adams (1990)
Bobby Robson remarkably left outTony Adams from England’s squad for the 1990 World Cup, despite the defender’s prominent role in qualification.
Adams had captained Arsenal to the league title in 1988/89 and was part of the North London side’s famous backline under George Graham. However, Robson opted to select Derby County centre-back Mark Bright, a decision which caused controversy at the time.
Paul Gascoigne (1998)
Paul Gascoigne‘s memorable England career came to an end in 1998 after the midfielder was a shock non-selection for the 1998 World Cup.
‘Gazza’ had been the driving force of the England teams that had reached the semi-finals at the 1990 World Cup and Euro ’96, but he was snubbed by Glenn Hoddle, who blamed the decision on fitness and disciplinary concerns.
Gascoigne reportedly wrecked Hoddle’s hotel room after being told the news and never played for England again.
Matt Le Tissier (1998)
Another high-profile omission from the 1998 tournament wasMatt Le Tissier. Despite repeated individual brilliance at Southampton, the midfielder never truly won the trust of England managers.
Le Tissier had scored 11 goals in the Premier League during the build-up to the tournament, but was not deemed the right fit. He won only eight caps during an England career that spanned between 1994 and 1997.
Steve McManaman (2002)
The build-up to the 2002 World Cup centred around injuries and a problem position on the left-wing.
David Beckham’s broken metatarsal dominated the tabloids, before Gary Neville suffered the same injury to miss out. Steven Gerrard was then ruled out with a groin issue, and Gerrard’s replacement, Danny Murphy, fractured a metatarsal of his own as the curse continued.
Despite McManaman appearing as an obvious replacement, given his versatility and big-game experience, the Liverpudlian was left out. His snub came despite winning the Champions League with Real Madrid in 2001/02.
Darren Bent (2006)
Darren Bent was never a first-choice for England, but his snub in 2006 was controversial due to the replacement.
Sven-Goran Eriksson memorably decided to call up 16-year-old Theo Walcott for his World Cup squad, despite the teenager having never made a Premier League appearance. Bent, in contrast, had scored 18 goals in the Premier League that season, with only Thierry Henry and Ruud van Nistelrooy managing more.
Fellow forward Jermain Defoe, a regular in previous squads, was also left bemused by the decision.”I don’t know why I’m not out there,” Defoe said at the time.
“I’ve been involved in every squad for the last two years and feel I’ve played a part in helping us to qualify… It’s a strange decision.”