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According to Evening Standard on Friday May 22, 2026, England manager Thomas Tuchel has acknowledged being caught off guard by the very public response of Harry Maguire following the Manchester United defender’s exclusion from the Three Lions’ 26-man squad for this summer’s World Cup in North America.
The omission of the 33-year-old was among the most talked-about selections when Tuchel officially unveiled his squad on Friday, alongside the absences of Cole Palmer and Phil Foden.
Maguire, who has earned 66 caps and featured in three major tournaments for England, had spoken to talkSPORT and posted on social media the evening before the formal announcement, describing himself as “left shocked and gutted by the decision.”
His family, including his mother, siblings and wife, also took to social media to voice their displeasure with the decision, amplifying what had quickly become a very public falling out.
Tuchel, speaking at a press conference at Wembley on Friday, confirmed he had already held a private conversation with Maguire before the news went public.
“I was a bit surprised,” the German said, “because we had a private conversation and he had the chance to express his feelings.”Despite that, Tuchel was careful to acknowledge both Maguire’s quality and his impressive season, insisting the final call was not personal.
He explained that his preference was to stick with the central defenders who had carried England through the autumn qualification campaign, several of whom are part of the team’s leadership group.
Tuchel settled on Marc Guehi, John Stones, Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn and Jarell Quansah as his chosen centre-back options for the tournament.
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