Cole Palmer has had an underwhelming season at Chelsea. | Photo Credit: Reuters

England will begin its FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in the USA, Canada and Mexico hoping to end its 60-year wait for a major trophy.

The Three Lions will have a German head coach, Thomas Tuchel, who has made some bold choices with his squad selection for the tournament

Tuchel has left out Chelsea playmaker Cole Palmer after an underwhelming domestic season, scoring 10 goals, which included five from penalties.

On his exclusion, Tuchel said, “I think he (Palmer) suffers from, first of all, a lack of individual form within the club, he was not as decisive or as influential as he was in the last seasons, throughout the whole season.

“Second of all, he was not very influential with us. His record with us was just not outstanding, not good enough to make him ‘no matter what, he is coming.’ That is just the reality of it.”

Palmer has two goals, including a goal in the European Championship final defeat in 2024, in 14 appearances for England.

Published on Jun 18, 2026