Sky Sports analyzes the winners and losers of England’s final camp before Thomas Tuchel announces his squad for the 2026 World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.
Winner: Anderson impresses after Japan’s crushing defeat
Despite England losing 1-0 to Japan, Elliott Anderson continued to show why clubs will be lining up to sign him from Nottingham Forest this summer.
Tuesday’s performance lacked speed, intent and any kind of fight. But Anderson can safely distance himself from those damned labels by at least making an effort to lead from the midfield.
The statistics say it all. He led the game with 136 touches and completed 111 of 117 passes on the night. Add 4 interceptions, 2 tackles and 1 clearance to this list as well.
Declan Rice will undoubtedly return to the starting line-up once he is fully fit, but Anderson is making a serious case to partner Declan Rice at this summer’s World Cup. He is already something of a leader within the national team, which is even more impressive considering this was only his eighth cap.
Loser: Foden struggles hard in false nine
Phil Foden had a strong first half of the season but has fallen out of favor at Manchester City in recent weeks, so he would not have chosen this international break as the ideal time to stake his claim to Tuchel’s World Cup squad, and his performances in both friendlies in March showed just why.
He has contributed just one goal at the Etihad since mid-December and has struggled to prove his authority against two similarly packed visiting defenses. He created just one chance against Uruguay on Friday. Three fewer than his midfield partner James Garner and one fewer than Cole Palmer, who came on as a substitute in the final half-hour. Cole Palmer should have recorded an assist, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin misdirected his header.
Cole Palmer replaces Phil Foden in England’s match against Uruguay
Foden followed that up with an even less effective attempt to show why he could be a false nine in Harry Kane’s absence against Japan on Tuesday night, when he was sent off for the fewest touches of any England starter, at which point the Three Lions had not had a single shot on target.
Given Foden’s club record and patchy comeback record with England over the years, the No. 10’s appeal was already fading, but this may have been the final nail in the coffin, with the 25-year-old alongside Palmer being singled out for his lack of attacking return following Japan’s defeat.
“When you put an attacking player on the pitch, you need attacking action, creativity, dribbling, shooting, assisting, and we obviously didn’t have enough of that,” Tuchel said of the pair.
Five years on from his debut tournament performance against Croatia at Euro 2020, it looks increasingly unlikely that Foden will be in the squad to feature again against the same opponents in England’s opening game this summer.
Loser: Cole Palmer
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Thomas Tuchel admits Phil Foden and Cole Palmer didn’t do enough for England against Japan
Like Foden, Cole Palmer fluffed the lines when given big chances, particularly in the favorite No. 10 position in Bellingham’s absence.
There’s no doubting his influence when he was singing, but he’s a long way from that now. The only consolation is that he is likely to play games for Chelsea to get back into shape.
Winner: Harry Maguire
The Manchester United defender was flawless and reliable throughout the training camp and friendlies in March.
I would definitely be surprised now if he wasn’t selected for the World Cup squad. Tuchel has downplayed his chances, saying he is still fourth or fifth on the list, but it is certainly a stick rather than a carrot to ensure standards at Old Trafford are maintained.
Winner: Garner looks confident of debut cap
James Garner made his England debut against Uruguay and was named in the starting XI, and was compared to Real Madrid superstar Fede Valverde by Thomas Tuchel after the match.
Asked about Garner’s debut, Tuchel said: “I’m very happy.” “He is our mini Valverde!
“He’s getting there and playing really well. He’s naturally confident.”
Eyebrows were raised when the Everton midfielder was included in the line-up ahead of Adam Wharton and Koby Mainu, but fears that he would not be ready for the international stage were quickly put to bed after a confident display in the opening 20 minutes on Friday.
Although his influence on the game has waned, Garner has done no harm to England’s chances in the set-up since first joining the first team. His consistent cameo off the bench when England needed a goal against Japan shows Tuchel already has some faith in the 25-year-old.
Loser: Did Maduke miss his chance?
Noni Madueke, England and Arsenal could all be classed as losers this international break.
England’s camp ended prematurely after a strong challenge from Uruguay defender Rodrigo Aguirre, and the winger was pictured with his knee in a fixed position after the 1-1 draw at Wembley.
Tuchel claimed the pictures were worse than the actual injury situation, but reports have now emerged that Maduke is doubtful to feature in Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Sporting on April 7.
The injury comes at a critical time of the season not only for Arsenal but also for England as they battle for a potential treble.
The camp was Tuchel’s last chance to look at his players before naming his World Cup squad, giving Madueke a chance to stick to the England manager’s plans.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Are Arsenal worried about injuries? Noni Madueke was spotted leaving Wembley with his leg strapped in after coming on as a substitute in England’s match against Uruguay.
Winner: Hall’s cameo gives Tuchel thoughts on fullback
Lewis Hall’s hopes of playing any major role in the United States now appeared to have been dashed for much of camp, as he was overlooked for left-back Jed Spence in the opening game against Uruguay and lost his starting spot against Japan to favorite first-choice Nico O’Reilly as one of Tuchel’s late-arriving players.
Hall had shown brief flashes in that first game with a 20-minute cameo, but his 30-minute stint against Japan gave the England manager some real ideas, eventually going wide on the visiting team’s low block and coming closest to equalizing with a solid shot late on.
It was enough that Tuchel hinted he was pleased with the performance of Newcastle’s defenders, with the Three Lions manager also criticizing full-backs Ben White and O’Reilly’s starting appearances, further raising expectations.
“But we didn’t have enough width. The full-backs didn’t get involved enough up front,” he said of England’s first-half difficulties. “That put everything through the middle, but it was too congested and didn’t work. We had more overlap and underlap for the full-backs, so it was a little bit easier (in the last 30 minutes).”
Loser: Calvert-Lewin didn’t get the chance to replace Kane.
His role as Harry Kane’s replacement at the World Cup is attracting attention, but it’s safe to say that Calvert-Lewin didn’t get his chance against Uruguay.
The forward has not scored since February 2 and is on a seven-game run without scoring, with his struggles in the final third affecting his performance at Wembley on Friday.
A golden chance to end the drought was wasted as his header from close range went wide. For both Calvert-Lewin and Tuchel, this mistake will be remembered for some time.
“It took Calvert-Lewin a little bit of time to get the press right and play with the same intensity,” Tuchel said of the Leeds striker’s performance.
“He had a big chance and he’s mad at himself. Normally it’s an obvious goal. He could have made a statement straight away.”
The decision to send him home before Tuesday’s game against Japan speaks volumes.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin misses big chance against Uruguay
Dominic Solanke, who has started just nine games for Tottenham this season due to injury, has been similarly lackluster, but Tuchel praised the striker’s work and gave him a start ahead of Calvert-Lewin.
Still, we are yet to know what Tuchel’s plans are for his backup strikers at the World Cup. No obvious options have emerged, but the England manager is still trying to address the issue behind the scenes.
“I have some ideas, but I won’t make them public.” If these ideas test Foden as a false nine, he may need to reconsider. Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins and maybe even Udinese forward Keiynan Davies – everyone, keep your phones nearby!
Winner: White builds a bridge despite boos
It will take Ben White some time to shake off the boos from an English crowd that still has not forgiven the Arsenal full-back, who was left out of Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad in December 2022 and subsequently ruled out for 18 months, for what is seen by some at least as a betrayal of his country.
We’ll have to see if he can get that time. Had it not been for Reece James’ injury absence and Jarrell Quansah’s late departure, he would probably still be waiting for the end of his England exile.
Considering he has only played seven Premier League games for Arsenal this season, he is an outsider still a long way from qualifying for the World Cup and was at least partially responsible for the two goals England conceded during the international break, although the penalty conceded against Uruguay was harsh.
But the fact that he has finally put those demons to rest is a long-overdue stepping stone in his rehabilitation in England. The first step was the hardest, but finally the noise around me started to quiet down.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Manager Thomas Tuchel was disappointed with England’s loss to Japan but believes this should be taken into consideration.
Winner: Koby Mainu
The Manchester United midfielder felt very comfortable in his first start for England under Tuchel, linking his plays well and displaying disciplined positioning.
He may not have the dynamism of Elliott Anderson, but he has proven to be a safe pair in the middle of the park.
Loser: John Stones
There are currently major concerns about the Manchester City defender’s fitness and whether he will be able to play games every four days in North America’s brutal heat.
There are also concerns about how much he has missed out on games and how many minutes he will get under Guardiola between now and the end of the season. If he feels well, he will go. Coach Tuchel has made that clear.
Winners without kicking the ball: Jude Bellingham, Ollie Watkins, Reece James
Three players gained notoriety without kicking a ball.
Foden and Palmer’s failures and setbacks show just how important Jude Bellingham is to England. The Real Madrid maestro and Tuchel will hope to stay healthy until the summer.
Meanwhile, Watkins has moved up England’s rankings despite his absence. Confidence was waning at Aston Villa, but they will no doubt take comfort in the fact that neither Dominic Solanke nor Dominic Calvert-Lewin did anything to threaten their World Cup qualification.
And finally, Reece James is the only potential England full-back who is guaranteed a seat on the plane if he is fit. With him recuperating at home, no one will be willing to challenge him as the frontrunner.
What’s next for England?
The friendly against Japan was Tuchel’s last chance to see his players on the international stage before handing in the final 26-man World Cup squad on May 30.
England will then play World Cup warm-up matches against New Zealand and Costa Rica before opening the tournament against Croatia on June 17th.
