England head coach Thomas Tuchel's treatment of Man Utd star Kobbie Mainoo at the World Cup has been baffling.
Mainoo has not played a minute at the World Cup so far
Mainoo has not played a minute at the World Cup so far(Image: 2026 Marvin Ibo Guengoer - GES Sportfoto)
View 2 Images
After fighting so hard to be included in England's squad for the World Cup, Kobbie Mainoo has not played a single minute at the tournament.
Mainoo is one of three outfield players in the England squad (along with Trevoh Chalobah and Ivan Toney) not to have been given a single appearance at the World Cup so far.
The situation has been made worse by Thomas Tuchel giving minutes to 36-year-old Jordan Henderson and right-back Reece James over Mainoo in midfield.
There were opportunities to give Mainoo a chance in the group stage. England were crying out for someone like him in the second half of their goalless draw against Ghana, while Tuchel preferred Henderson from the bench in the closing stages against Panama.
Henderson returned to the Premier League when he signed for Brentford last year after playing for Ajax and Al-Ettifaq. The veteran's inclusion in the England squad was a surprise, so there was confusion when he was brought on over Mainoo.
The situation was made worse in the quarter-finals against Norway when James was introduced to play as an auxiliary midfielder again. The Chelsea full-back had been absent since picking up a hamstring injury against Ghana, but came on from the bench to play in the centre.
"We put in [Reece] James as a six, which freed up Elliot Anderson at the eight, and Jude back on the 10," Tuchel said of the decision.
Of course, it's Tuchel's job to make tough calls, but even the staunchest Liverpool and Manchester City fans would not pick Henderson or James to play over Mainoo in midfield.
The only way selecting those two players over Mainoo would be justifiable would be if he were training poorly or causing problems behind the scenes, but history tells us that will simply not be the case.
Mainoo has kept a smile on his face.
View 2 Images
Even when Mainoo was not playing for Ruben Amorim, there were no issues with his application in training. In fact, it made him work even harder as he did everything he could in an attempt to change Amorim's mind.
Tuchel suggested there would be a role for Mainoo when the England squad was announced before the World Cup, but the closest Mainoo has come to any action is singing 'Wonderwall' with his teammates after games.
It feels highly unlikely that Mainoo will make an appearance at the tournament, given England are at the stage where the stakes are at their highest. Why would Tuchel play Mainoo in a semi-final, or potentially a final, when he hasn't given him minutes in the earlier rounds?
United supporters have rightly questioned Tuchel's decision to overlook Mainoo, but it has at least drastically reduced the chances of him picking up an injury ahead of the new season and should ensure he is fresh and ready for the 2026/27 campaign once he has had a break after the tournament.
Not playing a single minute at the World Cup will have absolutely no impact on how Mainoo is viewed at United. Michael Carrick knows as well as anyone what the academy graduate can offer.
If he doesn't make an appearance at the World Cup then of course it will be a disappointment for Mainoo, especially considering making the squad was a target of his after featuring at Euro 2024, but he has already dealt with far worse in his career, namely during Amorim's time at Old Trafford.
Reflecting on the first half of the 2025/26 season, Mainoo told England reporters in the USA: “I mean, obviously there were difficult times. But I tried to keep my focus on what was in front of me, take things day by day and just keep working my craft, keep working hard for the team, and I hoped the rest would come. Thankfully it has.”
When asked if he had Carrick to partly thank for his World Cup call-up, he said: "Definitely, and I told him that I was very grateful. Because if he hadn't put me on the pitch, then I wouldn't have been here so, I'm always grateful to him for that."
Despite not playing, Mainoo has still been part of an England squad at a World Cup and will receive a winner's medal if the Three Lions can end 60 years of hurt.
The way he has been handled has been bizarre, given the players who have played ahead of him, but at 21 he has plenty more international tournaments ahead of him and he'll be a key player at United next season.