Thomas Tuchel Warns Phil Foden On England's World Cup Squad Chance: 'Not A Guarantee'

Last Updated:April 02, 2026, 09:46 IST

Thomas Tuchel warns Phil Foden is not guaranteed a World Cup spot after poor England form and limited City minutes, as competition from Bellingham and others intensifies.

Thomas Tuchel has warned that Phil Foden’s place in England’s World Cup squad is “not a guarantee" after the midfielder once again failed to reach his best form for the Three Lions.

Foden struggled in an unfamiliar role as a central forward in the absence of Harry Kane during England’s 1-0 friendly defeat to Japan on Tuesday.

Foden, Down And Out?

Despite a bright start to the season, the 25-year-old has also slipped down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City in recent weeks.

“He tried everything. I would say he was excellent in camp but, yeah, he struggles to show it on the pitch," said Tuchel.

“Obviously he didn’t have a lot of minutes for City recently, then he came to camp with the brightest smile and was so good in training.

“And I thought he would just surprise us and play with the same verve and excitement, but he struggles to have the full impact."

Foden has rarely reproduced his best City form on the international stage, even during England’s run to the Euro 2024 final, which followed him winning the Premier League Player of the Year award.

Stiff Competition

He now faces fierce competition from Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers for an attacking midfield role in Tuchel’s squad.

“It’s not a guarantee that he will come," Tuchel added, when asked if he could take a struggling player to the finals in North America.

The defeat to Japan was only Tuchel’s second loss in 12 games as England manager, but he has yet to beat a side ranked inside FIFA’s top 20 more than a year into his tenure.

After a 1-1 draw with Uruguay last week, the German insisted that a difficult March “will not define us" and maintained his belief that England can end their wait for a major trophy since 1966 at this summer’s tournament.

“We will not let go of our dream, we will not let go of the question ‘why not?'" said the former Chelsea boss.

“Now the most important thing is that the players reintegrate with their clubs, have a good end to the season, and then we have them in pre-camp, prepare them properly and take steps from there."

(With inputs from Agencies)

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