Overview
- Thomas Tuchel named a 26‑man England squad that left out Harry Maguire in favour of John Stones, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah and Dan Burn.
- Maguire said on the Rest Is Football podcast that Tuchel FaceTimed players to tell them their fate and that the call felt “awkward”.
- He recounted that Tuchel told him he “can't really give me an excuse” and that the manager had gone with the defenders who came through the autumn qualifying camps.
- Maguire described himself as “shocked and gutted” but said he will not retire from international football and will appear on Netflix’s Rest Is Football during the tournament.
- The episode underlines a clear managerial shift toward younger or longer‑term defensive options and leaves Maguire’s World Cup future uncertain while keeping him visible at the tournament through media work.