Phil Foden’s England World Cup place in jeopardy after Japan defeat

Football
2 Apr 2026 • 3:41 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

image is not available

  • Phil Foden struggled to make an impact playing as a striker for England in their 1-0 friendly defeat against Japan at Wembley.
  • England manager Thomas Tuchel expressed concerns that Foden is finding it difficult to "have the full impact" in an England shirt, despite good training performances.
  • Tuchel noted Foden's recent lack of playing time for Manchester City, which may be contributing to his struggles on the international stage.
  • Foden was substituted after 58 minutes against Japan, and Tuchel indicated that his place in the upcoming World Cup squad is not guaranteed.
  • England's next fixtures include warm-up matches against New Zealand and Costa Rica in June, before their first World Cup game against Croatia on 17 June.

IN FULL