Every England manager knows when they take the job that they will have the impossible task of trying to satisfy the masses with their squad selections.
And Thomas Tuchel, like Gareth Southgate before him, has proven no different with his official squad announcement for the 2026 World Cup squad.
The Champions League winning boss announced his 26-man squad that will try to bring football home 60 years after the Three Lions only other major tournament triumph this morning.
Such was the excitement around the reveal that the England app crashed right as it was supposed to be announced.
But the ex-Chelsea manager has raised more than a few eyebrows with some of his picks.
Bags of talent have been left out, including some exclusions that were unthinkable after the 2024 Euros.
Of the squad which the final of that tournament, 14 have been included this time.
Missing from the squad on duty in Germany are Aaron Ramsdale, Lewis Dunk, Joe Gomez, Luke Shaw, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Gallagher, Adam Wharton, Jarrod Bowen, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer.
Tuchel has based his picks on “connection and chemistry” and wants a cohesive squad pulling in one direction without fracture.
SunSport exclusively revealed Chelsea star Palmer was snubbed over his personality and his stop-start campaign for the Blues, while fellow Mancunian Foden fails the same test for Tuchel’s list.
There was also no place for Harry Maguire – a stalwart of previous tournament campaigns – with his wife, Fern, saying she was “beyond devastated” for the Manchester United defender.
Meanwhile, there are only eight survivors – Jordan Pickford, John Stones, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Jordan Henderson, Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford – from the last World Cup in Qatar.
It means 18 players who have never been to a World Cup and 11 who have not been at a tournament before – plus Reece James, who did not kick a ball at Euro 2020.
Asked about his selections, Tuchel said: “A lot of thinking and difficult decisions to make. I’m between, relief, excited and ready to go.
This gives a certain edge and clarity. We are going in a week and I can’t wait to get on the plane.
“The first 10 days are planned but once the decisions are made it makes a difference.
“We hope to be together for six or seven weeks so a lot of factors.
“It’s hard to please people but we have to pick a squad we love and are convinced about. If there are doubts you don’t play on the same level.
“Who do you trust, who created a culture from September onwards, who is the leadership group. That connection has to be there.
“I love the difficult and tough decisions. I have the players who can go all the way. It’s about the energy and the connections and the chemistry.”
