England World Cup snubs: Maguire, Palmer amongst players reportedly not selected for Three Lions duty in 2026

As various selections and snubs made their way through the English papers, there were some shocking names left off Tuchel's list of players who will represent the Three Lions at this summer's tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. While global superstars like Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, and Marc Guehi had nothing to sweat as the selection came due, many other established veterans and big-name performers for England in the recent past have been axed, whether due to bad tactical fit, poor form, injuries, or a combination of such excuses. The Sporting News has reviewed the reports and included the most notable snubs from Tuchel's World Cup roster set to challenge for the famous FIFA trophy in June and July.

MORE: A comprehensive look at the predicted England squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Biggest England snubs for 2026 World Cup Here are the five players who have reportedly not been chosen by Thomas Tuchel to represent England at the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer. Harry Maguire Unquestionably, the biggest snub of the 2026 roster is Harry Maguire, who confirmed on May 21 he was not selected as part of Tuchel's World Cup squad by saying he was "left shocked and gutted by the decision. " Considered one of England's veteran leaders, Maguire has 66 international caps to his name, but has only made three international appearances since Euro 2024 when he missed out due to injury.

Still, the 33-year-old has been a strong performer for Manchester United this season, a key part of the club's second-half turnaround under Michael Carrick which saw the Red Devils secure Champions League football with a third-place finish in the Premier League table. Maguire started 14 of the club's final 16 Premier League matches, helping steady the ship while Lisandro Martinez missed considerable time. Given England's options at centre-back, it's a risky decision by Tuchel to leave Maguire home.

With Ben White and Levi Colwill struggling with fitness, it seems Tuchel has chosen to lean on Dan Burn, John Stones, Jarell Quansah, and Ezri Konsa next to the world-class Marc Guehi. Would Maguire really not have contributed in that rotation, especially in the event of an injury at the tournament? And that's not even considering his unique skills in front of goal at a tournament where set pieces are likely to be more important than ever.