Harry Maguire has been in excellent form for Manchester United under Michael Carrick, but the news from his Greek court sentence could impact his World Cup chances
Harry Maguire of England lines up for the national anthems prior to the international friendly match between England and Brazil at Wembley Stadium on March 23, 2024 in London, England
Harry Maguire's England hopes may have taken a huge hit as a result of his sentence(Image: Getty Images)
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Harry Maguire will have to declare his conviction for non-serious assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery to obtain a visa for the USA, if he is selected by England for the 2026 World Cup. Six years after the Manchester United defender was arrested in Mykonos, Maguire was handed a 15-month suspended sentence as a result of a guilty verdict by the Greek Courts.
In August 2020, he was charged with non-serious assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery after an altercation on the Greek island. More than half a decade later, he has been found guilty on all three counts.
The £80million defender, who denies the charges, has instructed his legal team to appeal the sentence, which has been reduced to 15 months from an initial 21 months that was first imposed on him in 2020. If they are successful, this new judgement will be quashed.
However, if the appeal is turned down, it could impact Maguire's hopes of acquiring a visa for the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico with the Sun claiming it could jeopardise his chances of going. When he makes his application, he will also need to declare the conviction.
The US Embassy and Consulates in the United Kingdom website states: "If you have ever been arrested, cautioned and/or convicted of an offense anywhere in the world, you are required to declare it when applying for a visa.
"In cases where an arrest resulted in a conviction, you may be permanently ineligible to receive a visa and will require a waiver ineligibility to travel to the United States.
"The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to United States visa law. Therefore, even if your arrest or conviction is considered spent, you are still require to declare it and furnish an ACRO Police Certificate when applying for a visa."
Manchester United football team captain Harry Maguire (L) leaves a courthouse on the Greek island of Syros, the administrative hub of the Cycladic island group that includes Mykonos on August 22, 2020. - Maguire was released from Greek police custody on August 22, 2020, TV footage showed, pending a hearing on assault charges on the neighbouring island of Mykonos
Maguire was arrested in 2020(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
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However, the Press Association report that sources close to the player said there were no travel restrictions on Maguire.
At the start of the Premier League season, the idea of the 32-year-old being part of England's World Cup squad may have been unlikely. He was not selected by Gareth Southgate for the 2024 European Championship.
The ex-Leicester City defender has also not featured for the Three Lions since 2024, when interim manager Lee Carsley started him in a 2-0 victory over Ireland in the UEFA Nations League. However, in February, England manager Thomas Tuchel suggested Maguire and his United team-mates Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo were back in his thoughts.
The German, when asked about the United trio, said: "It is great that [Mainoo] is back on the pitch. He is such a huge talent. He has played already a tournament from start to finish for England, so he is back in the picture, so is Luke Shaw and so is Harry [Maguire].
Harry Maguire of England reacts during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B match between Wales and England at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on November 29, 2022 in Doha, Qatar.
Maguire has 64 international caps for England(Image: Getty Images)
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"There are some players suddenly back in the picture, they play a back four now and play with a different style which is a bit easier to translate to our structure at the moment. It's good competition."
Maguire has 64 international caps for the Three Lions. Since Michael Carrick was appointed as interim manager, he has started every single match over the course of a seven-match unbeaten run for United.