Need to know
With England suffering an injury crisis at right-back, much has been made of Thomas Tuchel's decision to leave Trent Alexander-Arnold out of his World Cup squad
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Thomas Tuchel are present during the match between the national teams of Andorra and England, corresponding to Matchday 3 A of Group K of the World Cup Qualifying, at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, on June 7, 2025
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Thomas Tuchel are present during the match between the national teams of Andorra and England, corresponding to Matchday 3 A of Group K of the World Cup Qualifying, at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, on June 7, 2025
Thomas Tuchel snubbed Trent Alexander-Arnold for his England World Cup squad(Image: Urbanandsport/NurPhoto/Shutterstock)
All you need to know about Trent Alexander-Arnold's World Cup omission for England
Left out entirely: Put quite simply, Thomas Tuchel chose not to include Trent Alexander-Arnold in his 26-man World Cup squad. Since his name was omitted from the official list handed to FIFA, he is barred from participating in the World Cup, including the round of 16 clash with Mexico.
Defensive reliability questions: Even with his elite vision and passing ability, lingering doubts regarding Alexander-Arnold’s positioning and defensive discipline still dog him. Tuchel evidently favours defensive-minded full-backs over those who lean heavily into attacking play.
Real Madrid adaptation: Shifting from his boyhood club Liverpool to Real Madrid last summer turned out to be a tough adjustment that severely impacted his performances. The hurdles of settling into a new culture, language and style of play led to an inconsistent club campaign that failed to impress the England manager.
Intense squad competition: The right-back spot is fiercely contested within the national team set-up, with the coaching staff originally opting for Reece James, Tino Livramento and Djed Spence. These options were viewed as safer tactical fits for the current system, leaving Alexander-Arnold entirely out of the World Cup equation.
Drop in creativity: Previously celebrated for his incredible assist tallies at Anfield, Alexander-Arnold’s attacking returns took a massive hit during his debut year in Spain. Given that the international setup prioritises in-form players operating at their peak, this decline in offensive threat played a role in his exclusion.
Tactical system mismatch: The team's present strategy hinges on role players who can precisely execute specific instructions depending on the match situation, an approach that doesn't easily accommodate Alexander-Arnold’s unique playmaking traits. The manager ultimately couldn't find a cohesive, balanced position for him in either the defensive backline or the midfield.
Abandoned midfield trials: Gareth Southgate’s decision to deploy Alexander-Arnold as a central midfielder during Euro 2024 was heavily criticised as a tactical misstep. Now that the experiment has been discarded and standard midfield roles are filled by natural specialists, his back-up path into the squad was effectively blocked.
Shortage of recent minutes: Alexander-Arnold has been largely frozen out of the international scene lately, having not featured for England since a short 26-minute appearance against Andorra back in June 2025. This prolonged absence from the squad meant he was totally detached from the team's ongoing tactical progression.
Overlooked during injury crises: Livramento pulled out injured before England got their tournament underway, but the manager still stood firm on his choice to leave him out. Rather than drafting in Alexander-Arnold, the boss chose Trevoh Chalobah, while Jarell Quansah has also been used at right-back.
England's 2026 World Cup kits
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