Manchester United defender Harry Maguire is not involved in this summer’s World Cup with England after Thomas Tuchel left him out of the Three Lions’ squad for the tournament in North America
Harry Maguire has revealed Thomas Tuchel informed him and other snubbed England stars they had missed out on his World Cup squad over Facetime. The Manchester United centre-back also admits to having “had words” with the Three Lions boss after his decision.
Tuchel’s surprise move came despite Maguire being a key player under Reds head coach Michael Carrick. The 33-year-old was vital in defence for a side that lost just twice in the Premier League since January.
United finished third in the top flight and will play Champions League football next term for the first time since 2023. But Maguire’s performances at Old Trafford have not been rewarded on the international stage.
The former Leicester City and Hull star is instead working as a pundit for Gary Lineker’s The Rest is Football Netflix show during the tournament in North America this summer. Maguire made his first appearance in Tuesday’s show and has now spoken about Tuchel’s decision to leave him out.
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He said: “I’m very good, obviously it was disappointing at the time, but it’s been a few weeks since then. I’ve been away. I went to Barbados and found myself here with you guys, so I’m really excited for what’s to come. This is the second-best place I could be.
“It was a surprise. I said straight away it was a surprise. I was really disappointed, and I thought I did enough to be in the squad and help the lads out there. I thought I still had a part to play on the pitch and off the pitch. I was disappointed at the time, but the manager has made his decision, and he’s gone with the 26. It’s part of football and I’ll move on quickly from it.
“He speaks to everyone to be fair. He FaceTimes everyone, so it’s quite an awkward call. I received a text around nine or ten o’clock in the morning just saying ‘can I speak to you today at 4 o’clock?’ I think Kobbie received the same text, Luke [Shaw] as well. He FaceTimes everybody and it’s quite a unique way to do it. It’s probably harder for himself to see our reactions and things like that.
“He really said he can’t give me an excuse but that he’s gone with the four lads that got him through the qualifying in the autumn camps. He felt like they did well during those six games but he did say that he can’t really give me an excuse. Listen, that’s football. It was tough to take and I did think I was going to be in the squad after the March camp and being selected for the first time under him.
“I felt I did well in both of the games and then went back to Manchester United and finished the season strong. I thought I did enough to be in the squad but like I said, he’s made that decision. He’s gone with the squad and it’s a strong squad.
“I was shocked more than anything, we had a few words. I’m quite a big personality, I’m experienced but I think it was an honest conversation between us both. I was really disappointed. I wanted to go to the World Cup and play. I’m 33 now, 37 at the next World Cup looks far away. I wanted to go, not just play but I told the manager I wasn’t demanding that I start the games. I would have been happy playing one minute as long as I was there with the lads. It was disappointing.”
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Maguire’s exclusion came as somewhat of a shock – particularly after he was involved in the March international break for England.
The central defender has also played at the last two World Cups. However, he won’t be involved in the 2026 tournament as a player.
He added: “I was definitely one of the later ones in the squad, and I think that was the most disappointing thing for me. When I got told about 4 o’clock that day. Something got released in the media about half an hour before that, my place was in doubt. I saw that and was thinking [oof]. Two years before it happened again, when it was the Euros squad.
“I got left out because I was injured for my calf, but it was still touch-and-go as to whether I was going to get picked. Then a couple of hours before we got told, it got leaked out that I was going to miss it through a calf injury. That was the most frustrating thing. After the call, I knew all the media knew that I wasn’t in the squad. I got told on the Thursday afternoon, but I do think a lot of people got told on the Wednesday. So they’re having to keep it a secret.
“It’s massive news that you’re in a World Cup squad. You want to tell your friends and your family. It’s a strange way. I don’t know what the best way is. I don’t know if you just don’t call up people who aren’t in the squad. The Brazil way [on live tv] is interesting.
“Football is a game of opinions isn’t it? No matter what squad he would have picked there would have been people who missed out and said that they should be in the squad. I was disappointed myself, I felt I did enough but it is what it is.”
The Three Lions will be chasing a first major trophy since 1966 this summer. Tuchel’s team have been drawn in Group L with their first fixture on Wednesday evening against Croatia (9pm BST) before matches against Ghana and Panama.
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