Pundits Push Tuchel to Start Kobbie Mainoo for England vs DR Congo

Growing public calls to pick Mainoo reflect his late-season form and the fact he has not yet played at the World Cup.

Overview

England face DR Congo in the World Cup Round of 32 at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday, July 1 with a 17:00 BST kickoff that is live on BBC One and BBC Radio 5 Live.
Kobbie Mainoo has not yet played at the tournament despite a strong second half of the 2025/26 season under Michael Carrick that won him a new Manchester United contract and a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s 26-man squad.
Tuchel has started Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson in all three Group L matches and used Jordan Henderson from the bench instead of Mainoo in the win over Panama.
Former players including Wayne Rooney and Emile Heskey have publicly urged Tuchel to start Mainoo, a line of opinion that could increase pressure on the manager but does not change the official team selection.
Reports that Anderson is close to a club-record £116m move to Manchester City are developing and could influence selection choices and transfer focus after the England-DR Congo match.