Former England captain John Terry criticized head coach Thomas Tuchel for leaving out multiple stars, stating it impacts their ambition to win the 2026 World Cup.
“The national team needs the best players,” Terry said on the Sports Uncensored program. “There are only about 13 to 15 players capable of playing if we want to win the World Cup. When looking at the rest of the squad, I am not sure they can push the main players or not.”
Tuchel’s most controversial decision was not calling up Cole Palmer and Phil Foden. Despite not being in peak form at the club level during the 2025-2026 season, Palmer and Foden are still considered two of the top players in English football today when it comes to technical ability and playmaking skills. On the other hand, Tuchel called up Jordan Henderson – the 35-year-old midfielder currently playing for Brentford, and Ivan Toney – the striker playing for Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia.
The defense also witnessed many controversial decisions. Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold and the Manchester United duo of Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw were not named, while Dan Burn and Jarell Quansah were selected.
Terry questioned the inclusion of players like Burn or Nico O’Reilly – who are participating in a major international tournament for the first time, emphasizing that a lack of experience could be a major disadvantage for England.
“O’Reilly plays at left-back, but I think he needs to have Luke Shaw alongside him for support and guidance,” the 45-year-old former center-back analyzed. “I also disagree with dropping Palmer. I think Tuchel got it wrong on three or four important decisions. You need your best players as you go deeper into the tournament.”
When asked further about Maguire, Terry emphasized: “In my opinion, he is better than Dan Burn. If other players are injured, I would choose Maguire, because he is also a threat from set pieces, while Burn can only play on the left flank. I would choose Maguire anytime, anywhere.”
The Opta supercomputer gives England an 11.2% chance of winning the title, behind only France (13%) and Spain (16.1%) at the 2026 World Cup. However, Tuchel believes the “Three Lions” do not belong in the group of top favorites, as they have only won one major title in their history, the 1966 World Cup.
“We can compete and dream of the championship, but our responsibility is to put in the effort,” he said on June 9 during the press conference before the friendly match against Costa Rica. “In my opinion, England belongs to the group of competitors and challengers, not heavy favorites, but we want to go all the way and win it.”
At the 2022 World Cup, Gareth Southgate’s England was eliminated in the quarter-finals by France. In recent major tournaments like Euro 2020 and 2024, the “Three Lions” reached the finals but lost to Italy and Spain on penalty shootouts.
Tuchel emphasized that he is currently only focused on the group stage. “If you want to reach the top of the mountain, you have to take it step by step, otherwise you will get distracted,” the German tactician said. “I believe, but it comes with responsibility, effort, discipline, and facing difficulties. We dare to dream big.”
