England manager Thomas Tuchel casts doubt on Phil Foden’s World Cup place after the forward’s struggles in a recent friendly defeat to Japan.
ENGLAND manager Thomas Tuchel has cast doubt on Phil Foden’s place in his squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Tuchel’s comments follow the forward’s subdued performance in Tuesday’s 1-0 friendly defeat to Japan.
Foden struggled in an unfamiliar central attacking role, deputising for the absent Harry Kane. The 25-year-old has also seen his playing time reduced recently at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola.
“He tried everything. I would say he was excellent in camp but, yeah, he struggles to show it on the pitch,” said Tuchel. The manager noted Foden arrived at the England camp in excellent spirits after a lack of club minutes, but failed to translate that form into the match.
Foden’s international form has consistently lagged behind his club achievements, even during England’s run to the Euro 2024 final. He now faces intense competition from Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers for an attacking midfield role.
“It’s not a guarantee that he will come,” added Tuchel when asked if he could select an out-of-form player for the finals in North America. The defeat to Japan was only Tuchel’s second loss in 12 games as England boss.
However, he is yet to secure a victory against a side ranked inside FIFA’s top 20. Following a 1-1 draw with Uruguay last week, Tuchel described a difficult March camp that “will not define us”.
He remains confident England can end their major trophy drought dating back to 1966. “We will not let go of our dream, we will not let go of the question ‘why not?'” said the former Chelsea manager.
Tuchel said the immediate focus is for players to return to their clubs and finish the season strongly. The squad will then reconvene for a pre-tournament training camp to prepare properly for the World Cup.
