Tuchel Confident After Dropping Big Names From England World Cup Squad

England manager Thomas Tuchel has said he has no fears over leaving out several high-profile players from his squad for the FIFA World Cup, insisting his focus is on building a winning team rather than selecting individual stars.

Tuchel made several surprise omissions, including Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold, as he named his final squad for the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Other notable absentees include Harry Maguire, Adam Wharton, Morgan Gibbs-White and Luke Shaw.

England, who have not won a major international trophy since 1966, are among the favourites heading into the competition.

Speaking at a press conference at Wembley, Tuchel said squad selection was based on team structure and balance rather than individual reputation.

“From day one we were very clear that we are trying to select and build the best possible team, which is not necessarily to select the best 26 most-talented players,” he said.

He added that successful teams, not individual stars, win major tournaments.

“Teams win championships, it’s as simple as that.”

Tuchel admitted the selection process involved difficult decisions but said he was confident in the squad chosen.

“It was a given that from these 55 players, we have to leave some extraordinary talents and extraordinary personalities at home,” he said.

The coach said the aim is to build unity within the squad and approach the tournament with ambition.

“The goal is to try to win it and not be shy about it,” he said, adding that the team would compete with “hunger” and determination.

Tuchel said he is focused on creating a strong collective identity he described as a “brotherhood,” believing it will give England the best chance of success.