Those familiar with Thomas Tuchel from his time at Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, or even Paris Saint-Germain were not too surprised when he announced his squad for the 2026 World Cup. The English coach made some rather controversial decisions, breaking from tradition and moving away from just picking the big names, instead focusing on his identity and vision for the team.
In this, we will be attempting to discuss and explain some of the best and worst decisions he made whether it is omissions that he should be praised for or talents taken who shouldn’t be anywhere near the plane to North America.
Best – Cole Palmer Left Out
After the 2024 Euros campaign, most England squad odds would have had Cole Palmer nailed on to not only get a spot at the World Cup, but he was likely a favourite to be one of the leading players at the tournament.
Fast forward two years and things are quite different. While some pundits or casuals may be shocked to see one of the nations star names left out, those who have watched the former Manchester City man will know that he didn’t deserve a place in the squad.
The Chelsea man has looked like a shadow of his former self for most of the season, failing to score at the rate he used to, failing to rack up assists, and largely failing to contribute to attacks in a meaningful way. According to Statmuse, his big chances created dropped from 20 in 2024/25 to just 2 this year. His goal and assist numbers were down despite getting plenty of touches in the time he played, all in all, he looked like a person who didn’t deserve a place in such a competitive squad.
Worst – Jordan Henderson
This is prime Tuchel, unfortunately, he has always seen value in older players, making the elder statesman Thiago Silva a core part of his Champions League winning eleven in 2021. Keeping in line with his own standards, he has opted to bring a 35-year-old midfielder to North America.
This is a rather unusual inclusion as Henderson was deemed past-it by a very efficient Liverpool sporting structure, didn’t impress after the Reds, and most recently was playing for Brentford in the Premier League with the fanbase largely lamenting his performances.
While there is certainly some veteran IQ and seniority that is brought to the squad by the former Liverpool man, it comes at the sacrifice of a spot in a very competitive midfield. If he plays, it would be a surprise as he looked off the mark with the Bees and with Harry Maguire left out, it makes one question why one veteran leader was left out after playing well for Manchester United while another was included after a poor term.
Worst But Explainable – Adam Wharton Left Out
After an impressive campaign for Crystal Palace, Adam Wharton is one of the most talked about midfielders in English circles. There’s a lot of speculation over a move to one of the big six and despite all that, he wasn’t included in Tuchel’s squad.
While this is a poor decision on the surface, it does fit in line with how the coach likes to set up. His team’s often try to strangle the game, being compact defensively and using some physicality to make things difficult on their opponents. When looking at defensive pivot options, Wharton doesn’t seem to fit the ideal profile that the manager likes, Elliott Anderson and Declan Rice offer what he’s looking for. Kobbie Mainoo while not the best defensively, can hold his own. Henderson’s inclusion makes this one more bread scratching as he’s the most likely victim if you wanted to add Wharton to the squad.
