England news

Harry Maguire has revealed the emotional toll of his period away from the England squad, admitting that his mother was moved to tears upon hearing news of his recall. The Man Utd defender feared his international days were over after a lengthy absence from the Three Lions set-up.

Declan Rice is being held up as the perfect role model for England international team-mate Adam Wharton, with the Crystal Palace midfielder having one obvious area of his game to address. The 22-year-old playmaker is considered to be one of the Premier League’s hottest prospects, but he is yet to score a goal for the Eagles. Clinton Morrison has addressed that shock statistic with GOAL and explained who Wharton needs to look at for inspiration.

England will head to the World Cup this summer as one of the favourites to lift the trophy after a run of strong tournament showings by a still relatively young core group of players. Football, though, moves fast, and soon there will be new stars who come along and usurp those established names. Fortunately for the Three Lions, the production line is showing few signs of slowing down.

And then there were 35. Thomas Tuchel's decision to name an expanded squad of players that will be split into two for England's final two games on home soil before the World Cup was the latest sign that the German is taking a very different approach to his predecessors as he bids to become the first coach since Alf Ramsey to win a trophy with the Three Lions.

During an interview with Sky Sports in October 2024, Trent Alexander-Arnold was asked about his remaining career goals and whether he would rather win another Champions League, become Liverpool captain, lift a trophy with England or win the Ballon d'Or. The right-back went with the latter, the most unrealistic - and unimportant - option.

Arsenal sensation Max Dowman has been tipped for a glittering international career, though England's coaching staff are wary of accelerating his transition to the senior stage too quickly. The 16-year-old has taken the Premier League by storm, rewriting history books and catching the eye of Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel.

Trent Alexander-Arnold made his England debut in 2018 but has only taken his tally of caps to 34, with Gareth Southgate and Thomas Tuchel taking to snubbing Real Madrid’s former Liverpool defender on a regular basis. Michael Owen, who also spent time at Anfield and Santiago Bernabeu in his playing days, has told GOAL why the buccaneering full-back may have seen his 2026 World Cup dream dashed.

Ollie Watkins has revealed he expected to be left out of the England squad for March's friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. The Aston Villa striker has struggled for form throughout the 2025-26 season so far but has bounced back with recent goals against West Ham United and Lille and could yet be included in the Three Lions' roster for the 2026 World Cup in North America.

Arsenal's Ben White has been added to the England squad for the upcoming March friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. The defender, and Newcastle winger Harvey Barnes, will replace Eberechi Eze and Jarell Quansah, who have both had to pull out after sustaining recent injuries. White last played for the Three Lions in 2022 and was included in that year's World Cup squad but left Qatar for personal reasons.

Thomas Tuchel has admitted that Arsenal wonderkid Max Dowman has a “chance” of making England’s 2026 World Cup squad, but would an opportunity such as that be arriving too early for the 16-year-old forward? GOAL has put that question to Michael Owen, a man that knows all about making a senior breakthrough with the Three Lions as a teen sensation.

Wayne Rooney has expressed his shock after Trent Alexander-Arnold was omitted from Thomas Tuchel’s latest 35-man England squad. The Real Madrid defender is a high-profile absentee for the upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, leading the former Manchester United captain to suggest a deeper issue. Rooney sparked controversy by questioning if the snub is a tactical move to dismantle a perceived "clique" involving Jude Bellingham.

Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrated Real Madrid's victory over Atletico Madrid on Sunday night and posted a cryptic update on his England future on Instagram after being left out of Thomas Tuchel's latest Three Lions squad. The right-back, who has endured a stuttering international career, is facing a battle to be included for the 2026 World Cup despite enjoying a more productive second half of the season.

Newcastle United winger Harvey Barnes is set to be handed a late call-up to the England squad. Following an unfortunate injury to Arsenal playmaker Eberechi Eze, England manager Thomas Tuchel is expected to bring the in-form forward into his enlarged squad. This call-up comes after the player rejected an approach to switch his allegiance to the Scotland national team.