Thomas Tuchel Omits Foden, Palmer and Alexander-Arnold in Betvictor Squad
Betvictor England’s World Cup 2026 squad now has a very different look after Thomas Tuchel left out Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold and included Ivan Toney. The calls land after England went through qualifying with eight wins from eight games, scoring 22 goals and conceding none.
Tuchel has made no secret of the target. At his unveiling in October 2024, he said the aim was “to try and put a second star on the shirt”, and this week he added: “We can't be one of the favourites as we haven't won it for so long” and “There are proven winners within the tournament. These are the favourites.”
Tuchel's England selection
The omissions are the clearest sign yet that Tuchel is shaping the squad around a specific plan rather than reputation. Foden, Palmer and Alexander-Arnold are out, while Toney has been taken for the tournament.
Harry Kane remains part of the picture, and Jude Bellingham could be the player who helps England lift the trophy if he is in the mood. Tuchel has already extended his contract through to Euro 2028, so this squad call sits inside a longer run rather than a single tournament gamble.
England's group fixtures
England will face Croatia in Dallas on 17 June 2026, then Ghana in Boston on 23 June 2026 before meeting Panama in New York/New Jersey on 27 June 2026. Those three games set the route through the group stage and give Tuchel a first World Cup test in international football.
The tactical shape is expected to be a 4-2-3-1 system, which puts the focus on how England balance control, width and forward selection around Kane and Bellingham. The staff also have to carry a squad that reached the tournament by cutting through qualifying without a defeat, even if the opposition was described as not taxing.
Bellingham and the tournament plan
Tuchel’s biggest challenge is turning a clean qualifying record into a squad built for the knockout rounds. England were dragged into a different conversation after last summer’s response to performances against Andorra and Senegal, even though warm-up wins over New Zealand and Costa Rica in Florida offered a better finish to the build-up.
The group draw gives England a clear starting point, but the selection puts the spotlight on who Tuchel trusts when the tournament pressure rises. If Bellingham is central and Toney has been preferred over other high-profile options, the opening month in Dallas, Boston and New York/New Jersey will tell the story of how bold those calls really were.
