Bellingham, Palmer and five England stars who risk missing the 2026 World Cup

Cameron Smith

• 9 Oct 2025 16:04 BST
• 7 min read

Analysis

England have one of the best squads in international football, however Thomas Tuchel’s recent comments suggest that some of the country’s biggest stars may not be selected for the 2026 World Cup.

After England’s October fixtures against Wales and Latvia, Tuchel will only have a further two international breaks before he will be required to pick his squad for the World Cup.

He opted for continuity rather than change with his October squad selection and it has become apparent that the ex-Chelsea boss is focused on building a team spirit in the England camp ahead of next summer’s tournament.

As a result, players who have missed international camps through injury or poor form during his reign are increasingly unlikely to be selected for the World Cup, and Tuchel admitted as much during his press conference ahead of England’s friendly against Wales.

“For this moment, we stick with our choice and the radical statement is that we don’t collect the most talented players, we collect the guys who have the glue and cohesion to be the best team,” the England manager told reporters.

“I just watched a documentary of the New England Patriots and saw a quote that [said] ‘we don't collect the most talented players, we build a team’.

“I cannot agree more, so that's what we're trying to do. So, we are not collecting the most talented players, we are trying to build a team. Teams win trophies, no one else.”

As a result, several big-name players are at risk of missing the 2026 World Cup if Tuchel continues to prioritise team spirit and continuity over individual talent.

Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)

In June, Tuchel told talkSPORT: “If [Bellingham] smiles, he wins everyone. But sometimes you see the rage, the hunger and the fire and it comes out in a way that can be a bit repulsive, for example, for my mother when she sits in front of the TV.”

He later apologised to the media and to Bellingham for an “unintentional” use of the word “repulsive,” but it has led to rumours of a feud between the pair.

Current ETV

Jude Bellingham 

AM (C), M (CL)

Real Madrid

Jude Bellingham 

AM (C), M (CL)

Real Madrid

€109.8M

ETV Range

€98.9M - €120.8M

View full profile

Tuchel has unequivocally denied such speculation, however his desire for England to be a cohesive team without any egos perhaps doesn’t quite align with a player who famously shouted “who else?” after his last-minute equaliser against Slovakia at Euro 2024.

Recovery from shoulder surgery is the reason behind Bellingham’s absence from the last two international camps and given Tuchel is prioritising team chemistry, this works against the Real Madrid star. However, it would still be a major shock, and an incredibly bold decision, if Bellingham doesn’t go to the World Cup.

Cole Palmer (Chelsea)

Cole Palmer is also still expected to be selected for the World Cup if fully fit, but the Chelsea man isn’t guaranteed to be picked by Tuchel.

The 23-year-old has played just 65 minutes from a possible 540 across Tuchel’s six games in charge of England, largely due to injury issues, and this is a major problem.

Tuchel has admitted his admiration for the Chelsea superstar on a number of occasions, however he wants to avoid mass squad changes if possible and Palmer therefore can’t expect to automatically be picked for the World Cup.

While he is widely recognised as one of the world’s best players, Tuchel’s stance on how he will pick his World Cup squad could be detrimental for the 23-year-old, especially if Palmer misses the November internationals due to his current groin injury.

Phil Foden (Man City)

Phil Foden has only made two appearances in an England shirt under Tuchel and he was omitted from the Three Lions’ October squad despite an encouraging run of form at Manchester City.

The 25-year-old has often failed to replicate his club performances at international level and given the depth of attacking riches at Tuchel’s disposal, there’s no guarantee that he will walk back into the squad ahead of Morgan Rogers, for example.

Foden has consistently proven that his best position is No.10, yet there are several other options available to Tuchel in that role, many of whom have performed far better for England in the past.

As a result, he may struggle to break into England’s squad for the World Cup, even if he enjoys a superb end to the season at Man City.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid)

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been in the England set-up since 2018, yet he has only accumulated 34 caps for his country, while he has started just 26 international matches in his entire career.

Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier were both favoured ahead of the Liverpool academy graduate by Sir Gareth Southgate, and Reece James has now established himself as Tuchel’s preferred right-back.

As a result, Alexander-Arnold is currently an outside contender for England’s World Cup squad, with Valentino Livramento and Djed Spence both ahead of him in Tuchel’s thinking.

His chances of featuring at the World Cup have been harmed by a hamstring injury he suffered in September, while competition for places from Dani Carvajal won’t help the former Liverpool man stake his claim for a spot on England’s place to North America.

Jack Grealish (Everton)

Jack Grealish has been rejuvenated since joining Everton on a season-long loan deal in August and he has already registered five goal contributions in seven Premier League matches for the Toffees.

The 30-year-old has been given complete attacking freedom by David Moyes and his star quality has re-emerged following an extremely difficult 2024-25 campaign at Manchester City.

Grealish looks back to his Aston Villa best, but it may not be enough to earn a place in England’s World Cup squad.

He is yet to feature for the Three Lions since the appointment of Tuchel and given the German’s preference for continuity, Grealish faces an uphill battle to displace Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon and Eberechi Eze in the pecking order.

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