Tuchel Goes Rogue With 35-Man England Squad: Foden Survives, Trent Alexander-Arnold Axed Before World Cup

Key Takeaways

• Tuchel named an expanded 35-player squad, splitting it into two separate camps for the Uruguay and Japan friendlies
• Phil Foden survives the cut despite not scoring since December 14 and barely playing for Man City in 2026
• Trent Alexander-Arnold is left out entirely — even with nine extra spots beyond the standard 26-man World Cup roster
• Tuchel is using these final friendlies as auditions: "We bring players in that we haven't seen to open up the competition for plane tickets to the U.S."
• Reece James misses out injured, with Tino Livramento and Djed Spence preferred at right-back over Alexander-Arnold

Our Take

Thomas Tuchel is making a statement, and it's not a subtle one. Naming 35 players and still finding no room for Trent Alexander-Arnold tells you everything you need to know about where the Liverpool-turned-Real Madrid man stands in the German's plans: nowhere.

The Foden inclusion is fascinating by contrast. Here's a player who hasn't scored in three months, who's been glued to the Man City bench, and who looks a shadow of his PFA Player of the Year self — yet he's in. It's either an act of faith or a final-chance saloon. Either way, Foden better deliver against Uruguay or his World Cup spot is in genuine jeopardy.

The two-camp split is clever management. It lets Tuchel assess fringe players without disrupting his core group, and it keeps everyone on their toes. With less than three months until the World Cup kicks off in the United States, these are the last meaningful opportunities for players to state their case. The message is clear: past reputations won't guarantee a seat on the plane.

What's Next

England face Uruguay first before the squad rotates for the Japan match. All eyes will be on the fringe players desperate to make Tuchel's final 26 for the 2026 World Cup this summer in the United States.