- Former Reds Jordan Henderson and Jarrel Quansah have made the England squad for the 2026 World Cup.
- Curtis Jones missed out on selection for the World Cup squad, despite having been named in the wider selection pool.
- No Liverpool player has been named in the England squad for the World Cup for the first time since before 1966. Rio Ngumoha will travel along with the squad to a pre-tournament training camp.
Thomas Tuchel has named his England squad for the 2026 World Cup and has included former Liverpool players Jordan Henderson and Jarrell Quansah. No first-team player has been named in the squad, but Rio Ngumoha will join the squad for a pre-tournament training camp.
The squad will travel to the tournament being played across the United States, Canada and Mexico to play their first game against Croatia on 17th June.
England lost to France in the quarterfinals of the 2022 tournament and lost in extra time to Croatia in 2018. They will aim to reach the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19th.
Curtis Jones left out, while former Reds flourish
Curtis Jones was the most likely Liverpool player to be part of the England squad. He played three times in qualifying to bring him to six England caps.
Tuchel said that there were many difficult decisions in choosing the squad, but he had to focus on the balance of the team.
Jordan Henderson has made it into the midfield group, which has some major exclusions, including Cole Palmer and Phil Foden. Many fans of other clubs don’t have a full appreciation for what Hendo can offer to a squad. His leadership and experience for a young squad could be crucial to help provide what he was able to give as a leader under Jurgen Klopp for so many years.
Jarrell Quansah left Liverpool last summer to join Bayer Leverkusen. He has also overcome fierce competition for the squad. Harry Maguire won’t be going to the tournament, with Tuchel backing the youth of Quansah.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is also going to miss out on the squad, having moved to Real Madrid last summer.
No Liverpool players involved for England
Liverpool have had at least one player in each England World Cup squad since their World Cup victory in 1966. In each edition since 1986, they have had more than one player, with five representatives in 2014.
There were three tournaments which England didn’t qualify for in 1994, 1978 and 1974.
Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold were both part of the successes in 2018 and 2022 while playing for Liverpool.
Rio Ngumoha to travel with the squad
Tuchel has also confirmed that Rio Ngumoha will be one of three youngsters who will train with the squad before the tournament in June. Ngumoha has been an incredible breakthrough player for Liverpool this season and has been rewarded for his progress throughout the year. The youngster has played 18 times in the Premier League this season, with one game still to go.
The complete England squad
Goalkeepers: Pickford, Henderson, Trafford
Defenders: James, Livramento, O’Reilly, Spence, Konsa, Guehi, Burn, Stones, Quansah
Midfielders: Mainoo, Anderson, Rice, Henderson, Rogers, Bellingham,
Forwards: Rashford, Gordon, Saka, Madueke, Kane, Toney, Watkins
