Tuchel Plays Down Maguire's World Cup Hopes

Thomas Tuchel has dealt a significant blow to Harry Maguire's hopes of featuring at the 2026 World Cup, revealing the Manchester United defender is only his fifth-choice centre-back [1].

The England boss handed Maguire his first start in 18 months in Friday's 1-1 friendly draw against Uruguay at Wembley. While Tuchel acknowledged the 33-year-old delivered a solid performance, he made clear several other players are ahead in his pecking order [1].

"I got exactly what I thought, solid, solid central defender play. That's what he does. Very good on the ball, very calm, strong in the air and is the weapon for set-pieces," Tuchel said [1].

However, the German manager was quick to temper any optimism about Maguire's tournament prospects. He named Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Trevoh Chalobah, and John Stones as centre-backs he prefers, effectively pushing Maguire further down the list [1].

"I see Ezri Konsa ahead, I see Marc Guehi ahead. It's no secret. I see Trevor Chalobah on the level of mobility was slightly ahead of him. Also John Stones, but he had injuries, so he needed to come to camp," Tuchel explained [1].

The 33-year-old, who boasts 65 England caps and has appeared in three major tournaments previously, has just one more opportunity to press his case. England face Japan in another friendly at Wembley on Tuesday [1].

When asked directly whether Maguire would make the squad if it had to be named immediately, Tuchel refused to commit. "If, if, if. We don't need to name the squad tomorrow. He did a good game," he said [1].

Despite his measured response, the message was clear: Maguire faces an uphill battle to secure his place in Tuchel's final 26-man squad for the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada. England won't play again until World Cup warm-ups in June, after the squad is announced [1].