England manager Thomas Tuchel via REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli
The World Cup is as big as it gets in football. That was obvious by the passion on display this summer as Spain went all the way, beating Argentina 1-0 in the 2026 final.
Even before the tournament begins, there is great debate over which players will be called up, and who will be left behind. England manager Thomas Tuchel made plenty of headlines with his selection, leaving behind some huge stars.
The absence of players like Harry Maguire, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and others certainly sparked a strong response. Maguire's mother even went on social media to say she was 'absolutely disgusted' by the omission.
Chelsea star Palmer has now spoken about how he has dealt with the rejection, explaining his experience of watching England from afar this summer.
England's Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham celebrate
England's Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham celebrate
Palmer Reflects on World Cup Experience After Tuchel Left Him at Home
England's Cole Palmer
International Friendly - England v Iceland - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - June 7, 2024 England's Cole Palmer reacts Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers
One issue fans had to deal with when watching games from the United Kingdom was the time difference. Indeed, some matches were played at the dead of night. This was a big issue for England supporters when their Last 16 match against Mexico started at 2am (GMT), having been pushed back an hour due to storms.
It turned out to be a thrilling encounter, with the Three Lions winning 3-2 thanks to a brace from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane's penalty, with Jarell Quansah's second-half red card adding to the drama. Despite all the excitement, Palmer has revealed to the press that he fell asleep during the game:
"Obviously I was away, and the times were a bit mad in America. So it was a bit difficult, but I did watch."
When asked if he watched the Mexico game, he admitted:
Palmer Motivated After World Cup Snubs Leads to 'Strange' Summer
Cole Palmer
All in all, it sounds like Palmer had a bit of a sleepy summer, with Premier League action with Chelsea finishing back on 24 May, almost 10 weeks ago. With no World Cup call-up, he's been able to take a lengthy break but has admitted to getting tired of his time off.
Having competed at the Club World Cup, the European Championship and the European Under-21 Championship in each of the three summers since turning professional, this was the first time he got a proper end-of-season break. The midfielder said he went to Marbella with his family but found the experience "strange" at first, admitting he "got bored after six weeks" and was eager to return.
"I never thought I'd think that. I was checking when I was back in [for pre-season at Chelsea]," he noted.
He also was asked if missing the World Cup would provide extra motivation this season. Palmer replied: "Yes, naturally it's going to. It's like anything. If someone tells you you're essentially not good enough to get in the squad, then you're going to think, 'All right then, I'm going to try to go that extra bit harder'."
The 24-year-old scored 11 goals and claimed three assists for the Blues in 34 games across all competitions.