Thomas Tuchel has created the first big shock in his position as head coach of the England national team with a series of strong decisions in the 2026 World Cup squad.
Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Harry Maguire are said to be eliminated, while Ivan Toney unexpectedly returns after nearly a year of absence. These are not only controversial choices, but also clearly show Tuchel's philosophy. He does not prioritize fame, does not please public opinion and is willing to bet everything on his own decisions.
Toney, 30 years old this year, was once considered to have run out of opportunities to wear the England national team jersey after leaving Brentford to move to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia. The last time he appeared in the England national team was just the last 2 minutes in the friendly match against Senegal in June last year.
However, a year later, Toney returned strongly with 42 goals and 11 assists. That form helped him become part of the England striker trio alongside Harry Kane and Ollie Watkins, who also just returned after a long time being excluded from the national team.
If Toney's return is surprising, then Tuchel eliminating both Phil Foden and Cole Palmer at the same time creates even greater shock. Many people believe that only one of these two stars will have to "sacrifice". But Tuchel has gone further than that.
Palmer has been in decline for a long time and has physical problems, but his elimination is still shocking. Just in the most recent EURO, Palmer was also one of the rare bright spots of the England team. Now, he is not even on the final list.
Meanwhile, Foden almost disappeared from the Manchester City squad this season. This is completely opposite to the image of the best Premier League player and the great hope of the England team at EURO before, when fans used to sing his name loudly in the stands.
The elimination list is also extended with notable names such as Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Morgan Gibbs-White, Lewis Hall or Adam Wharton. Conversely, Noni Madueke was surprisingly retained.
Maguire's case is particularly noteworthy because it almost closed the journey of this center-back in the England national team jersey. Despite playing quite stably at the end of the season for Manchester United, he still could not convince Tuchel.
In fact, signs have appeared since March, when Tuchel publicly considered Maguire to be only the sixth choice in defense, after John Stones, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Dan Burn and Jarrel Quansah.
After being eliminated, Maguire spoke on social media: "I believe I can play an important role for the England team this summer after what I showed last season. I am really shocked and disappointed with this decision.
But Tuchel was not appointed to build an image or please the dressing room. He was brought in with the sole task - to help England win major titles.
That is also the reason Jordan Henderson is still retained. Tuchel highly appreciates the experience, team connectivity and role in creating a positive atmosphere of this veteran midfielder - something he believes will be necessary in a major tournament.
Tuchel's approach is completely different from Gareth Southgate, who was once criticized for being too loyal to familiar veterans. It is more reminiscent of Fabio Capello at the 2010 World Cup - the time when the "Three Lions" made unexpected and controversial decisions at the last minute.
Ollie Watkins was once removed from the list in March, but his explosive form in Aston Villa helped him change the situation. According to many sources, after a series of friendly matches with Japan and Uruguay, Tuchel and his assistants Anthony Barry and Justin Cochrane held a lengthy meeting to review the entire personnel plan.
The conclusion is very clear, England needs new choices, even if it means sacrificing big stars.
