Tuchel Sends 55-Man England World Cup Squad to FIFA
Thomas Tuchel has submitted his england world cup squad, sending a 55-man provisional list into FIFA’s tournament process with several places still unsettled. England must trim that group to 26 players before the World Cup starts on 11 June in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Tuchel's 55-man list
Luke Shaw, Danny Welbeck and Alex Scott were believed to be among the players named, while Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold was understood to have made the preliminary list. The Football Association has not yet released the squad officially, but it planned to announce England’s final group on Friday, 22 May.
The size of the long list leaves Tuchel with a wide pool and a hard cut. FIFA permitted participating nations to name 55 players, but only 26 will survive to the final squad that goes to the tournament.
Shaw, Welbeck and Scott
Shaw’s case is one of the most watched. The Manchester United left-back has not played for England since the Euro 2024 final defeat against Spain, and he has 34 caps. He also made 36 appearances for United this season.
Welbeck and Scott are also in the mix after different seasons and different routes into contention. Welbeck scored 14 goals for Brighton this season. Scott was called into the senior England squad for the first time in November, then was omitted from Tuchel’s previous squad for the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.
England's right-back picture
Tuchel’s right-back choices have been shaped by availability as much as form. Reece James is his first-choice option, while Newcastle defender Tino Livramento is currently unavailable, though there is hope he will be fit for the World Cup. Arsenal defender Ben White is a major doubt after suffering a knee injury in Sunday’s win at West Ham.
Alexander-Arnold’s presence on the preliminary list keeps another experienced option in play, and it comes after he, Shaw, Welbeck and Scott were all left out of Tuchel’s previous squad for the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. The final 26 will show which of those names survive the cut and which are left waiting after the squad is trimmed before June.
