England dominated Group K in Uefa qualifying to book their place at next summer’s World Cup, winning all eight games without conceding a goal. But they disappointed in March’s international friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, and now the manager has to finalise his squad to take to USA, Canada and Mexico in June.
Late on Thursday, Harry Maguire revealed that he has not been named in Tuchel’s final 26. The Manchester United defender, back in the squad in March after a strong run of form, said he is “shocked and gutted” by the decision.
Tuchel made clear that he wants to build a squad with clearly defined roles, and two players for every position on the pitch, plus a third goalkeeper and three versatile outfield players to round out the 26. He sees his midfield comprising a No 6, a No 8 and No 10, and wants each player to know their specific role in the side.
So who will Tuchel select in his 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup? While you can find everything you need to know about the announcement here.
Not selected
Harry Maguire: A stalwart of England’s last two World Cup campaigns, the Manchester United defender has been left out of Tuchel’s final squad. The 33-year-old is “shocked and gutted” by the decision, which comes as something of a surprise, given his strong club form and his call-up to the squad in March. Maguire also missed out on a spot at the last tournament, Euro 2024, in which England reached the final.
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In a statement on social media, Maguire said: “I was confident I could of played a major part this summer for my country after the season I’ve had. I’ve been left shocked and gutted by the decision. I’ve loved nothing more than putting that shirt on and representing my country over the years. I wish the players all the best this summer.”
On the plane
Jordan Pickford: The Everton keeper was Gareth Southgate’s No 1 and has maintained top spot under Thomas Tuchel, with an impressive season for his club.
Dean Henderson: The Crystal Palace goalkeeper is set to be Pickford’s back-up.
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England will take a 26-player squad to the 2026 World Cup (Getty Images/The Independent)
Nico O’Reilly: The Manchester City left-back was excellent in November’s World Cup qualifiers after impressing under Pep Guardiola this season, and his two-goal show in the Carabao Cup final only further secured his place in the England squad.
John Stones: The Manchester City defender has endured a difficult season with injury but, if he is fit, the experienced centre-back will play a role at the World Cup.
Marc Guehi: Stones’ fellow City centre-back is perhaps the most certain defender to start England’s first World Cup game.
Ezri Konsa: The Aston Villa centre-back has cemented his place as one of Tuchel’s most reliable options, having played more minutes under the German manager than any other defender.
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Elliot Anderson: Tuchel has made clear that Anderson is the leading candidate to play in the holding role position, and his performances for Nottingham Forest and England have been outstanding. Anderson’s defensive instincts will help free up Declan Rice in midfield.
Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is in Thomas Tuchel’s plans (PA)
Declan Rice: Part of Tuchel’s leadership group and essential to any success at the World Cup in England’s box-to-box No 8 position.
Jude Bellingham: The Real Madrid man has won back his place in the England squad, although there remains tension with the manager. Yet England need their best players firing to have any chance of winning the World Cup, and Bellingham is undoubtedly one of them.
Morgan Rogers: Tuchel turned to Rogers in Bellingham’s absence during qualifying, and the Villa midfielder looks poised to earn a place in the squad as an option at No 10.
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Bukayo Saka: The 24-year-old winger has been under a little bit of pressure to refind his very best form for Arsenal, but he will certainly be in the squad and is the most likely starter on England’s right wing this summer.
Anthony Gordon: The Newcastle winger is contention to start on the left wing, and has regularly featured there for Tuchel so far. He has racked up more than 20 goal contributions this season, making him one of the few England forwards in form.
Marcus Rashford: Goals and assists for Barcelona have pushed Rashford’s cause and Tuchel likes him, although the manager has also had cautionary words about wasting his talent. Rashford’s versatility, able to cover both wing and striker should Kane need it, helps his selection cause.
Marcus Rashford has featured regularly in Thomas Tuchel’s England side (Mike Egerton/PA)
Harry Kane: It is easy to forget that plenty of pundits and fans wanted Kane dropped for the Euro 2024 final. He has been phenomenal ever since, surpassing 50 goals this campaign, and the big question now is whether England’s captain can translate his sensational club form at Bayern Munich into dominating an international tournament.
In contention
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Aaron Ramsdale: Looked to have regained his place as England’s third-choice goalkeeper, but will Tuchel prefer to give James Trafford the experience of a major tournament?
James Trafford: Included in England’s March squad, but the goalkeeper’s lack of game time for Manchester City this season is the reason why he may miss out.
Reece James: Tuchel adores the Chelsea captain and there is no doubt James will be at the World Cup if he is fit, most likely as the starting right-back. But his fitness in itself is such an uncertainty – he has only recently recovered from a hamstring injury – that he doesn’t make our on-the-plane list, yet.
Tino Livramento: The Newcastle full-back is liked by Tuchel and his ability to play both sides adds to his appeal – but a thigh injury makes him a doubt to make the tournament.
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Reece James, centre, celebrates his goal against Latvia (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)
Dan Burn: Burn is a popular squad player who adds something different with his towering physical presence. He is currently battling to be Tuchel’s fourth choice at centre-back behind Stones, Guehi and Konsa, but faces competition from Harry Maguire.
Djed Spence: Much like Livramento, Tuchel likes that Spence has experience playing both full-back roles for his club, Tottenham. But it may be that only one of the two full-backs goes to the World Cup, and Livramento has had the edge when both are fit.
Lewis Hall: The defender has been excellent for Newcastle this season and has a chance of making the World Cup squad after his involvement in recent internationals.
Myles Lewis-Skelly: Tuchel loves the Arsenal youngster, but he has barely featured at left-back for the Gunners this season, with Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie both preferred by Mikel Arteta – which cost him his place in November’s squad. Yet a recent, impressive run in central midfield could give Lewis-Skelly a route into England’s plans.
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Myles Lewis-Skelly faces a fight for minutes at Arsenal this season (The FA via Getty)
JamesGarner: One of the few players to come away with any credit from England’s dismal March internationals, and could snatch one of the fringe places in the squad as back-up midfielder.
KobbieMainoo: Back in the squad after strong performances for a rejuvenated Manchester United under Michael Carrick, but looked a little sluggish defensively in the March friendly against Japan.
Jordan Henderson: Henderson has been a regular inclusion by Tuchel during qualifying and it is very possible he will be in the squad as the back-up to Anderson in the No 6 role.
Adam Wharton: The Crystal Palace midfielder was something of a surprise inclusion by Gareth Southgate at Euro 2024 but has since established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, with the ability to play as a deep-lying playmaker as well as in a box-to-box role. He played in November’s match against Albania as the No 6.
Eberechi Eze: Tuchel has spoken in glowing terms about Eze as a player who offers something different, creatively, from Bellingham and Rogers. His ability to play wide and as a No 10 would be a useful asset in the squad, although he still faces huge competition for a spot.
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Morgan Gibbs-White: Gibbs-White was initially given minutes by Tuchel before being edged out by the sheer number of options in central roles. But his sensational late-season form for Forest has seen him climb back up the pecking order.
Cole Palmer: It seems incredible not to list Palmer on the plane, but the sheer intensity of competition for attacking spots makes his position uncertain, and his poor performance against Japan only increased the doubt over his place. Bellingham, Rogers and Eze can all play in that role, while Saka and Madueke appear likely to be first-choice options on the right flank. Palmer will probably be at the World Cup, but Tuchel has made no guarantees.
Cole Palmer struggled to impose himself on Japan at Wembley (John Walton/PA Wire)
Phil Foden: Foden, like Palmer, is another supremely talented England player who could be left behind. The City midfielder has barely featured under Tuchel so far and has lost his place in Pep Guardiola’s team. He struggled playing as a false nine against Japan in the March internationals, and his spot in the England squad is in serious doubt.
Noni Madueke: Madueke is Saka’s deputy at Arsenal and should fill the same role for England, having performed well in September’s thrashing of Serbia, the highlight of Tuchel’s reign so far.
Jarrod Bowen: The West Ham captain seems to be third choice on the right wing behind Saka and Madueke, but his league form has been good and he has a chance of squeezing onto the plane. Bowen’s ability to play as No 9 could also play in his favour, if Tuchel decides not to take a back-up striker.
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DominicSolanke: The Tottenham striker has struggled for fitness this season, and is injured again, but was given gametime in the March friendlies. Could he be England’s back-up No 9?
Ollie Watkins: A sluggish start to the Premier League season saw Watkins left out of the squad for November’s internationals. But a late surge in form for Aston Villa has lifted him back into contention for a spot on the plane.
Outside bets
Trevoh Chalobah: A badly timed injury playing in the Champions League for Chelsea may have scuppered Chalobah’s hopes of making the World Cup, although he is back to fitness now.
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Levi Colwill: The 23-year-old appears to have put his injury troubles behind him, and is known to be highly rated by the England hierarchy.
Ben White: Back in the fold for the first time since leaving the World Cup in Qatar, Tuchel was considering White as a right-back option. But a medial ligament injury sustained against West Ham earlier this month is likely to have ended his hopes.
FikayoTomori: The AC Milan defender was back in the squad for March, but faces stiff competition for a centre-back place.
Luke Shaw: Didn’t make the March squad, with Hall and O’Reilly preferred as left-back options.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold: Tuchel has been frank about his preference for James and Livramento in the pecking order at right-back, hinting at concerns about Alexander-Arnold’s defensive concentration. Time seems to have run out for the Real Madrid defender to win back his place.
Trent Alexander-Arnold must impress at Real Madrid to be at the World Cup (PA)
Dominic Calvert-Lewin: An impressive goalscoring campaign for Leeds has seen Calvert-Lewin push himself into the reckoning. But he was sent home from the March camp while Solanke was retained, hinting at his true place in the pecking order.
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The bikini has a matching sarong for the perfect beach day look
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With June nearly here, you might be starting to plan your outfits for any up coming holidays you have. If you are in need of some new pieces, you could take a trip to Tesco to check out their clothing brand, F&F.
The bikini has a “striking” print with a “chic ring detail” on the top for a modern touch. You can also pick up the F&F Shell Print Tie Side Sarong in Multi Black White to throw over the bikini that comes in the exact same pattern.
The tie at the side of the sarong “ offers versatile wearing options and an adjustable fit”. The sarong costs only £12.50 while the bikini top costs £16 with the bottoms costing £12.50 for the high leg ones and £14 for the high waisted ones.
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The bikini and sarong were posted to the Tesco F&F Instagram page, which currently has 890K followers. The post was captioned: “Booking a holiday just for the outfit potential. #FandFClothing #StyleItOut.”
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If you want to get your hands on the bikini or sarong, you can go to the Tesco website to browse all of its clothes. You can also go in person to a Tesco store with a clothing department.
We’re expecting the England squad to be named about 10am BST tomorrow morning, with the FA-produced livestream due to begin at 9.45am BST.
Miguel Delaney and Lawrence Ostlere will be at Wembley a little after that to listen to Thomas Tuchel speak.
In the meantime we’ll go through the rumoured bold calls perhaps on the way…
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Mike Jones21 May 2026 19:06
Maguire’s statement on World Ciup omission
Over on X, Maguire wrote: “I was confident I could of played a major part this summer for my country after the season I’ve had.
“I’ve been left shocked and gutted by the decision. I’ve loved nothing more than putting that shirt on and representing my country over the years.
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“I wish the players, all the best this summer.”
Mike Jones21 May 2026 19:05
England’s World Cup 2026 squad: Who’s on the plane, who’s almost there and which big names will miss out?
Late on Thursday, Maguire revealed that he has not been named in Tuchel’s final 26. The Manchester United defender, back in the squad in March after a strong run of form, said he is “shocked and gutted” by the decision. And TalkSport revealed Foden will also be left behind after a difficult season at Manchester City.
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Lawrence Ostlere21 May 2026 19:03
Harry Maguire omitted from England squad
TalkSport first reported the news that Manchester United’s Harry Maguire will miss out on a place at the World Cup.
Maguire has undergone something of a resurgence under Michael Carrick towards the end of the season and believed he had made a case to push for the squad.
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That is not so with the player also taking to social media to confirm his omission.
(Reuters)
Mike Jones21 May 2026 19:00
Good evening!
We’re just a day away from Thomas Tuchel announcing the 26-players that have made England’s World Cup squad but some news has dropped early.
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We’ll have the latest updates and rumours ahead of tomorrow’s announcement and give our thoughts on who we think will make it onto the plane to the USA.
A driver was caught doing 90mph along one of Peterborough city centre’s busiest roads last year. Data sourced from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request showed the motorist was clocked racing down Bourges Boulevard at well over twice the maximum speed limit in 2025.
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The data, which is compiled from Cambridgeshire Police’s speed cameras, show drivers in the city have used this stretch of the A15 at incredible speeds over the past few years. One motorist was recorded driving down the city centre street at 95 mph in 2023, while another reached 98mph in 2022.
The maximum speed limit on Bourges Boulevard is 40mph, although there are several parts of the road where traffic is restricted to 30mph. The data shows that this isn’t the only Peterborough road where drivers have persistently exercised an astonishing lack of speed awareness.
The city’s Fletton Parkway (A1339) is known to be a speeding hotspot, despite the fact it is a 60mph zone. The Eastbound section has seen cameras snap drivers showing scant regard for the speed limit, with 104mph recorded in 2023, and a mind-blowing 110mph clocked in 2021.
The cameras on this stretch of road recorded 13,958 speeding infringements between 2020 and 2024.
The CastleCourt store closed its doors in recent days
Henry Saker-Clark, Press Association Deputy Business Editor
17:54, 21 May 2026Updated 18:03, 21 May 2026
Clothing chain Quiz is set to shut its remaining 37 stores by the end of June, administrators said.
The fashion retailer hired administrators from advisory firm Interpath in February after suffering a “tough start” to 2026.
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On Thursday, the insolvency specialists said the business would implement a closure plan for its final stores over the coming weeks.
It confirmed that three other stores, in Castlecourt, Belfast, Leeds and Romford, shut their doors for good in recent days.
The timing of the closure of the remaining stores has not yet been confirmed.
Quiz has also not confirmed how many workers will be impacted by the closures.
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More than 100 head office and warehouse jobs were put at risk when it entered administration.
It marked the second time Quiz had fallen into administration in a year, having collapsed in February 2025 before immediately being bought in a so-called pre-pack deal by a subsidiary of the founding Ramzan family.
Quiz concessions in New Look and Matalan stores in the UK are not included in the administration and remain unaffected.
Remaining stock is being delivered to its stores, with heavy discounts of at least 60% as administrators seek to sell off as much as possible to help pay the collapsed firm’s outstanding debts.
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Alistair McAlinden, head of Interpath in Scotland and joint administrator, said: “As we head into the May bank holiday weekend, we would encourage shoppers to visit their local store as we commence our final closing down sale.”
Geoff Jacobs, managing director at Interpath and fellow joint administrator, said: “We’d once again like to say a huge thank you to Quiz staff who have shown such dedication and professionalism under difficult circumstances.”
The bank holiday is forecast to be a very sunny one for Cambridgeshire
The bank holiday is set to be a hot one with temperatures reaching highs of 31 degrees in certain parts of Cambridgeshire, according to BBCWeather. The good weather will start tomorrow (Friday, May 22) with it expected to be dry “with plenty of sunshine”.
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The temperature is expected to reach highs of 28 degrees in Cambridge and Ely and 27 degrees in Peterborough. The county could see some rain in the morning on Saturday, May 23, but it should clear up before the afternoon with the temperature reaching 27 degrees.
Sunday, May 24, and Monday, May 25, are expected to be quite similar with lots of sunshine. The temperature will reach highs of 29 degrees on Sunday and will be even hotter on Monday with it reaching 31 degrees in Cambridge and Ely and 29 degrees in Peterborough.
BBC Weather said: “Saturday may see the odd shower in the morning locally, but it will turn drier in the afternoon with warm sunshine. Sunday and Monday will be very warm, or even hot, with plenty of sunshine as high pressure remains in control.”
The good weather is set to continue throughout next week with plenty of sunshine and temperatures staying above 25 degrees for most of the week. The temperatures are currently forecast to drop to around 23 degrees in Cambridge and Ely and 21 degrees in Peterborough on Saturday, May 30.
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A huge fire has broken out in Rochdale this evening, with thick smoke plumes seen for miles. The blaze has erupted at the site on Ashworth Road, beside Rochdale Old Road in Heywood.
Pictures and videos shared on social media show the area being covered in smoke amid the ongoing blaze. Police and fire crews remain in attendance.
It is thought the fire has broken out near to the Simpson Clough Mill. No further details have yet been confirmed.
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The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service have been approached for a comment on this ongoing incident.
Emily in Paris fans, I’m gonna hold your hands when I tell you this. It’s officially coming to an end.
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That’s right, Netflix’s most bonkers show about an American parachuting into the cutthroat world of corporate Paris with nothing but enthusiasm and a pipedream will return for a sixth and final season.
It feels like only yesterday that our titular marketing executive Emily (Lily Collins) rocked up to a random arrondissement in Paris without any French to her name and an, at best, ramshackle social media plan.
When she wasn’t pitching her wacky ideas to her unimpressed boss, Sylvie, the Chicago native was hop, skip and jumping her way through various romantic entanglements and supporting her best friend Mindy’s burgeoning singing career.
Needless to say, there are few words to capture the show’s chaotic yet endearing spirit.
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But that will all soon be behind us, with lead star Lily confirming Emily’s Europe-traversing chapter is coming to a close – this time with our plucky protagonist in Greece.
Filming has started in Greece for the final season (Picture: Giula Parmigiani/Netflix)
Fans are gutted (Picture: Giula Parmigiani/Netflix)
What has Lily Collins said about the final season?
In a message to fans, she said in a video: ‘After six unforgettable years of playing Emily Cooper, I am here to share that this upcoming sixth season will be our final.
‘Season six will bring you everything you love about the show and serve as a final chapter in Emily’s adventure of a lifetime. Our entire cast and crew are pouring our hearts out into making this a fantastic farewell season, which we’re now filming.
‘I can’t wait for all of the magic ahead and to celebrate our final season with you in the most chic way yet. We’re so incredibly grateful, and we love you all. À bientôt.’
Creator Darren Star added: ‘Making Emily in Paris with this extraordinary cast and crew has been the trip of a lifetime.
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‘As we embark on the final season, I am so grateful to Netflix, Paramount, and, most importantly, the fans who have taken this incredible journey with us. We can’t wait to share this last chapter with you.
‘Thank you for letting us be a part of your lives, inspiring your dreams of travel and your love of Paris. We will always have ‘Emily in Paris!’
Fans are making their thoughts on what should happen at the end clear (Picture: Caroline Dubois/Netflix)
How are fans reacting?
Given that this series is a firm comfort show for the masses, following Emily’s silly, goofy life and shenanigans, the news has inevitably come as a blow.
‘ This show was my refuge during the pandemic. I’ll miss the cast, the outfits, Paris, and all the glamour. Thank you, Lily, for giving us Emily and her Parisian adventures,’ collinsupdatez wrote.
‘I could have watched this show forever!! Going to miss it,’ theclassybrunette agreed.
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‘This show could last for 27 seasons and I’d watch it every time,’ jeremyyrayy echoed.
But there’s one request fans have for the last season. For Emily to finally get together with her one true love, Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), whose romance has been hot and cold for five seasons now.
The question on everyone’s lips is – who will Emily end up with? (Picture: Caroline Dubois/Netflix)
‘Hoping Emily and Gabriel’s story ends with the happiness they’re looking for,’ madhurismita shared.
‘Gabily better be endgame,’ anushka_aura added.
‘I will be LIVID if she ends up alone like they did on “and just like that” …it’s Emily & Gabriel OR BUST!’ mrskatherinejohnson shared.
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‘Better be Emily and Gabriel at the end,’ emaelmoghanny agreed.
In fact, you can hardly move for fan pleas to give the couple we all want together their happy ending.
The consensus? Emily and Gabriel must be endgame (Picture: Stephanie Branchu/Netflix)
After restaurateur Gabriel’s aborted attempt to win her heart back at the start of the season, Emily was dating the dashing Marcello (Eugenio Franceschini), for several episodes while in Rome.
After they break up, Emily returns to Paris, where she helps Gabriel secure a gig for the Greece-bound billionaire Thomas Heatherton and they share a bittersweet goodbye.
Now chilling in a yacht in Greece, after finding out that Emily is single, he invites her to join him.
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Although we don’t know Emily’s reaction, the fact that the new season is set in Greece (and France, of course) looks positive for the Gabily truthers.
Although after the conclusion of season five, Lily had said: ‘I don’t know what the future holds for Gabriel and Emily. I appreciated that they were able to say goodbye gracefully, without knowing what comes next.
‘Emily is supportive of his adventures and career, and she respects his journey without interfering. That kind of graceful goodbye felt deserved for the characters, and I’m not entirely sure where it will go from here.’
Emily in Paris seasons one to five are available to stream on Netflix now. Season six currently has no release date.
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Barthélémy, 5, and Zacharie, 3, were crying for their father (Picture: GNR)
Two young boys were found wandering alone down a country path hundreds of miles away from home.
Barthélémy, 5, and Zacharie, 3, were crying for their father when police found them between the popular seaside resort towns of Alcácer do Sal and Comporta in Portugal.
Artur Quintas was driving along the remote track with his wife when he spotted the boy’s blonde hair at just before sunset on Tuesday.
‘The oldest one told me that he and his brother had gotten lost in the forest and that their father and mother had left without taking them.’
Their hands were covered in dirt, and one of them had a knee injury.
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Portuguese police ask the kids some questions as they try to track down their parents (Picture: GNR)
He added: ‘I saw that they were each carrying a backpack. I immediately realised they had been abandoned.’
Their backpacks had nothing more than a change of clothes, an apple, an orange and two bottles of water.
The French brothers told authorities their mother, 41-year-old Marine, and stepfather Marc had driven them to remote woodland and told them they were going to play a game to ‘drive away the devil.’
The belongings found on the two boys (Picture: GNR)
Blindfolding the boys, they told them that they could only remove their eye covers once they had found a knife they had buried in the soil.
The elder brother Barthélémy dug around the dirt trying to follow their instructions before finally removing both their blindfolds, only to realise they had been left in the woods.
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Still believing they were part of a game, the children wandered the desolate area, which can reach 30C in Spring, before finally being found by the driver.
It is thought the siblings were living in Colmar, eastern France, before their mother vanished with them around two weeks ago driving them to Portugal.
Marine’s mother reported their disappearance to police, telling the officers they had been abducted by their mother.
It has since emerged that their birth father, who is separated from Marine, had also filed a child abduction report to French police. Colmar prosecutor Jean Richert told Le Parisien: ‘He’s like everyone else, he doesn’t understand.’
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French police have said they are already aware of stepfather Marc, who is believed to suffer from a psychiatric disorder.
Portuguese police have not formally confirmed that the children were kidnapped and abandoned, with a spokesperson saying: ‘All possibilities are being considered.’
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