England manager, Thomas Tuchel, has said he has “no fear” after leaving several high-profile players out of his World Cup squad, insisting his focus is on building a balanced team capable of winning the tournament.
The German coach excluded a number of big names for the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada, including Manchester City forward Phil Foden, Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer and Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Harry Maguire, Adam Wharton, Morgan Gibbs-White and Luke Shaw also miss out as Tuchel, who succeeded Gareth Southgate, delivered a bold selection call.
One of the most surprising inclusions was Saudi Arabia-based Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney, who has featured only sparingly since Euro 2024.
England head into the World Cup among the favourites, 60 years after their only major international triumph.
Speaking at a press conference at Wembley, Tuchel stressed that squad balance outweighed individual talent.
“From day one we were very clear that we are trying to select and build the best possible team, which is not necessarily to select the best 26 most-talented players,” he said.
“Teams win championships, it’s as simple as that.”
The former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager admitted the decisions had been difficult, but insisted he had “no fear” over the final squad list.
“It was a given that from these 55 players (in the provisional squad), we have to leave some extraordinary talents and extraordinary personalities at home,” he said.
The 52-year-old added, “I like these kind of decisions, even if it took us weeks and sometimes months to verify the decisions.
“I think they bring clarity, I think they bring a certain edge in the end that is necessary.”
Tuchel also said he aims to build a “brotherhood” within the squad as England target a first World Cup title since 1966.
“The goal is to try to win it and not be shy about it, and then just to respect the game and the opponents and the amount and the obstacles that come with the tournament itself,” he said.
He admitted Ivan Toney’s selection was unexpected, but said the striker offers qualities the team needed.
The former Brentford forward, now at Al-Ahli, has scored 32 goals in 32 league matches this season.
“I think he has very special skills that could help us, meaning the situation, the scenario when we are chasing a result, when we are chasing a goal,” added Tuchel.
“I think he can be a very valuable addition to Harry Kane. He can be a presence in the box when we are pushing for a goal.
“He is a natural finisher, he can help us with set pieces, he is very strong in the air, very good in using his body.”
England begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia in Dallas on June 17, before facing Ghana and Panama in their remaining Group B fixtures.
