Major Blow For Harry Maguire’s World Cup Hopes Under Tuchel
England head coach Thomas Tuchel has indicated that Harry Maguire ranks as the fifth-choice centre-
back in his current thinking, delivering a significant setback to the Manchester United defender’s
prospects of making the 2026 World Cup squad.
Tuchel made the assessment in comments reported on Saturday, March 28, 2026, following England’s 1-1 friendly draw with Uruguay at Wembley the previous evening.
In that match, Maguire started alongside Fikayo Tomori in central defence, his first England appearance
since September 2024, but the German coach’s hierarchy appears to place him behind Marc Guéhi, Ezri
Konsa, John Stones and Ben White.
The 33-year-old Maguire has enjoyed a strong resurgence at club level under interim Manchester United
boss Michael Carrick, starting regularly and contributing to improved defensive performances.
His recall to the 35-man squad for the March internationals was widelyviewed as a lifeline after an 18-
month absence from the national team.
However, Tuchel’s public ranking has cast fresh doubt on whether Maguire will be part of England’s final
squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico starting in June.
Maguire came close to scoring early in the Uruguay game with a header from a corner but was unable to
make a decisive impact. England took the lead through Ben White before conceding a late equaliser
from a penalty converted by Federico Valverde.
Tuchel has repeatedly stressed that the March friendlies (against Uruguay on March 27 and Japan on
March 31) represent the final major opportunity for players to stake their claim for World Cup places,
with no one guaranteed selection yet.
Maguire has 64 caps for England and has featured in previous major tournaments, but competition for
centre-back spots remains intense under Tuchel.
By Oyinkansola Shittu.
