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Thomas Tuchel on leaks, Harry Maguire, and England’s 26-man World Cup squad
The announcement of England’s World Cup squad on Friday morning held few surprises.
This wasn’t due to a lack of potentially controversial selections by Thomas Tuchel, but rather the steady stream of leaks to journalists on Thursday, revealing the entire 26-man squad.
The identities of those included and excluded began to emerge around 17:00 BST, coinciding with the players themselves learning their fate.
Tuchel emphasized that he chose a group he fully trusts.
“My job is not necessarily to select the 26 most talented players,” he stated.
“I can assure every fan in the country that we have 26 100% committed players, who are ready to embrace their role on and off the pitch, and dedicated to team spirit and unselfishness.”
The questions now are: What transpired with the leaks? And what do Tuchel’s pointed comments about selflessness reveal about his vision for England’s team culture?
Manchester United defender Harry Maguire’s public expression of “shock and disappointment” on social media after being informed of his non-selection drew criticism. Some fans and pundits argued the experienced defender should have awaited the official announcement.
However, it’s evident that other players and their associates were fully aware their shared information would likely leak.
Tuchel’s predecessor, Gareth Southgate, was widely commended for fostering unity within the squad and rebuilding the positive relationship between players and the public.
Notably, the first three players whose exclusion was reported – Maguire, Phil Foden, and Cole Palmer – were previously favored by Southgate.
Under Southgate, squad selections were occasionally revealed in advance, but public displays of disapproval from players were rare.
Does this breach of protocol undermine Tuchel’s authority or suggest underlying disunity?
The German manager expressed clear displeasure with Maguire’s reaction.
“It was not necessary to make it public,” Tuchel told BBC sports editor Dan Roan.
“I [already] knew about his reaction, about his feelings about it. It didn’t help, but I understand the disappointment and respect him a lot as a player.
“[Leaks] are just the nature of these times. We called the majority of the players yesterday [Thursday]. Players are disappointed and they talk of course and then too many people know, too many people want to know.
“We would have even liked to inform them earlier but we paid a lot of respect to the FA Cup final and Aston Villa in the Europa League final.”
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Tuchel on his World Cup squad selections
When asked if Maguire had validated his decision, Tuchel smiled wryly and responded, “I didn’t say that.”
During the news conference, Tuchel asserted that the experienced players selected will help him maintain a disciplined team.
“We have a decent leadership group,” he added, while declining to identify the players he considers part of it.
“They created a culture, set the tone and took care of the standards.”
Throughout the interview with BBC Sport, Tuchel consistently emphasized leadership, unity, and selflessness.
“It is also about how to handle disappointment,” he added.
“There will be disappointment throughout the tournament, so how can players react to that, how can they overcome their ego, their pride, and still maybe push their team-mates?
“I don’t want to take a gamble on it and find out in a tournament that someone struggles with that.”
Ultimately, the leaks and reactions from disappointed players may have reinforced Tuchel’s conviction that he made the correct decisions.
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Those excluded from the squad were primarily informed via telephone calls from Tuchel on Thursday.
Conversely, many of those included were notified via WhatsApp message.
“I tried to show my respect and appreciation by telling them in personal phone calls,” Tuchel said.
“For some it was painful. We believe it had to be delivered by me.”
One modern justification for finalizing a squad well in advance is that it allows national associations to curate tailored social media content for fans, exemplified by the FA’s Beatles-inspired short film, external showcasing each squad member.
Other countries adopt different approaches to minimize leaks.
For instance, Brazil had Carlo Ancelotti reveal his squad live on TV, leaving players to discover their inclusion or exclusion alongside the viewing public.