Cole Palmer was one of several big names to be left out of the England squad by Thomas Tuchel ahead of the World Cup.
11:42, 22 May 2026
Thomas Tuchel, Head Coach of England, looks on as he speaks to the media during a press conference at Wembley Stadium on March 20, 2026 in London, England
View Image
Thomas Tuchel has spoken to the media during a press conference at Wembley Stadium(Image: Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Thomas Tuchel has explained why Cole Palmer has been left out of the England squad ahead of the World Cup. The 24-year-old midfielder was one of a few big names to not make the cut, meaning Reece James will be Chelsea's only Three Lions representative this summer.
Speaking to reporters at Wembley Stadium on Friday morning, the England boss began by explaining his selection process. Tuchel said: "It’s an exciting day for me. Teams win championships; it’s as simple as that.
"From day one, we were clear that we were trying to build the best possible team, which is not necessarily collecting the best 26 players. What we are trying to achieve can only be achieved as a team. With that in mind, we have selected a very balanced squad."
On whether he fears he'll regret the decision to leave so many big names at home, like Palmer, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Harry Maguire, too, Tuchel said: "No, I don’t fear [deciding to drop key men].
FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
"I’m confident in the squad we chose. It’s difficult for the players, and to explain to the players. What we’re trying to achieve is a balanced squad. From 55 players, we had to leave some extraordinary players at home.
"I like these kinds of decisions even if they took us weeks and months to come to them. I tried to explain the reasons to the players. Did they do anything wrong? No. We didn’t want to play them out of position so much."
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Content Image
£44
Sky
Get the deal here
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
Before the press conference, Tuchel expanded on his selection process during an in-house interview with Daniel Sturridge. The former Chelsea boss said: "Difficult phone calls. I respect all of them. As players, personalities. All of them have been in camp, have been excellent.
"To reduce it was difficult, sometimes painfully difficult. Even in the phone calls, I felt the emotion. I called all the players who were in camp with us at least one time. A lot of them deserved to be with us.
"In the end, we went back to the evidence we had. In September, October and November, the leadership group and the team had very few changes in November. We had a bit of fresh air, younger players who played with excitement.
"It was a good mix of young and old and brought the best out of the players. We want to recreate that spirit. That's why we rely heavily on the group that was with us in those three camps."
More so on Palmer, Tuchel added: "For some, it was a positional thing and not bring five number 10s and make them play out of position."
The England Squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Man City).
Defenders: Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), John Stones (Man City), Marc Guehi (Man City), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Nico O'Reilly (Man City), Djed Spence (Tottenham), Tino Livramento (Newcastle).
Midfielders: Declan Rice (Arsenal), Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Kobbie Mainoo (Man Utd), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal).
Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Noni Madueke (Arsenal).
On Standby, who will train with the England squad while Arsenal players have a break after the Champions League final and travel to the United States as cover for injuries: Jason Steele, Alex Scott, Josh King and Rio Ngumoha.
Article continues below
Up to 70% off Chelsea kits and merch
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Content Image
Various Prices
Fanatics
Buy Now on Fanatics
Fanatics has slashed the price of Chelsea kits and merch with up to 70% off select items.