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Harry Maguire left 'shocked and gutted' as Manchester United defender reveals England World Cup squad omission
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Updated 21/05/2026 at 18:15 GMT+1
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A day before England's 2026 World Cup squad announcement, Harry Maguire has revealed that he has been excluded, leaving the Manchester United defender "shocked".
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Manager Thomas Tuchel will name his England squad for the World Cup on Friday, May 22, but Maguire will not be one of the 26 players travelling to the US, Mexico and Canada.
The 33-year-old, who has 66 caps for the senior England team, wrote on Instagram: "I was confident I could of played a major part this summer for my country after the season I’ve had. I’ve been left shocked and gutted by the decision.
"I’ve loved nothing more than putting that shirt on and representing my country over the years. I wish the players all the best this summer."
Maguire was in the running for the England squad due to his renaissance for Manchester United under manager Michael Carrick over the second half of the Premier League season.
Having previously struggled for form and playing time under Ruben Amorim, Maguire appeared to flourish with Carrick as manager, returning to become a regular starter for United.
Since Carrick's first match in charge on January 17, Maguire has missed just two league fixtures, playing the full 90 minutes in all but three games.
His form to finish the campaign was a key reason in helping United qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season.
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Maguire became a key member of England's squad under manager Gareth Southgate after making his debut in 2017, forming a formidable partnership with John Stones.
He scored his first senior England goal at the 2018 World Cup, in The Three Lions' 2-0 victory over Sweden in the quarter-finals, with England going on to lose in the semi-finals to Croatia.
At Euro 2020, Maguire missed England's opening two games but played all of their remaining fixtures as they marched to the final on home soil.
In the final against Italy, Maguire scored the second of England's penalties but they would go on to lose.
His performances earned him a spot in the Euro 2020 team of the tournament.
In qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, Maguire scored his seventh goal for England, making him the nation's highest scoring defender.
At the tournament, Maguire played in all of England's games, before they lost in the quarter-finals to France.
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He missed Euro 2024 after failing to recover from a calf injury.
Since Tuchel was named England manager in 2025, Maguire has found starting opportunities harder to come by.
He was, however, named in Tuchel's previous squad for March's friendlies against Japan and Uruguay, featuring in both matches.
After the game against Uruguay, Tuchel appeared to cast doubt on Maguire's participation at the 2026 World Cup.
"I got exactly what I thought, solid, solid central defender play," Tuchel told reporters. "That's what he does. Very good on the ball, very calm, strong in the air and in the weapon for set pieces.
"I haven't changed my mind but I see other players I like to start for us, I see other players ahead with a different profile. I see Ezri Konsa ahead, I see Marc Guehi ahead. It's no secret.
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"I see Trevoh 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.
"Like I said, he is an asset, of course, that he can also be super important in a tournament, in knockout football, in defending a lead and chasing a game with crosses and long throw ins and set pieces."
England have two warm-up matches for the World Cup against New Zealand and Costa Rica before they travel to North America.
They begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia on June 17, before games against Ghana and Panama.
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