International soccer

Real Madrid star not among England’s best 35 players, World Cup dream in serious danger

Despite strong form at Real Madrid, Trent Alexander-Arnold misses Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for March friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, although Jude Bellingham is in.

Pablo Montaño Roddy Cons

Update: Mar 20th, 2026 07:37 EDT

Álvaro Arbeloa, after Real Madrid eliminated Manchester City from the Champions League, praised Trent Alexander-Arnold, saying, “Trent has helped us a lot. In my opinion, he deserves that England call-up.” Thomas Tuchel, however, ignored Arbeloa’s suggestion. Alexander-Arnold is not included in the latest England squad, while Jude Bellingham will be available. A total of 35 players were named by Tuchel at St. George’s Park.

Nine months after it seemed Alexander-Arnold might finally get a call from the German coach, the right-back is surprisingly left out. He hasn’t played for England since a June 2025 World Cup qualifier against Andorra, when he was still a Liverpool player.

After recovering from a thigh injury that sidelined him for two months and starting five of his last six matches for Real Madrid, Alexander-Arnold seemed ready to convince Tuchel he deserved a spot on England’s summer tour to the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Instead, he was left out again, just as he was in September.

Here we go. It's your #ThreeLions squad for March camp! 👀
— England (@England) March 20, 2026

Reece James injury opens a potential spot

Adding to the surprise is the thigh injury to Chelsea’s Reece James, a rival for the right-back position. James recently extended his contract with Chelsea through 2032 but will miss the March international break due to the injury.

“We’ll evaluate him more thoroughly after the international break. It’s nothing serious, but he has a thigh problem,” confirmed England coach Liam Rosenior at a press conference.

Real Madrid star not among England’s best 35 players, World Cup dream in serious danger — Trent's out, but Jude's in.Eddie Keogh - The FA

Jude Bellingham back despite recent setback

Just as surprising is Bellingham’s inclusion. He joins the squad despite a muscle injury suffered on February 1 against Rayo Vallecano. Since Tuchel arrived at St. George’s Park, Bellingham had missed multiple international breaks. This season, he has logged nearly 2,000 minutes across 28 matches for Real Madrid.

Bellingham played in England’s November window but missed September due to a shoulder injury and October by technical decision. Unlike Alexander-Arnold, Bellingham hasn’t yet seen minutes for Real Madrid since returning from injury, but he traveled to Manchester this week to join the squad ahead of the World Cup.

March squad brings more surprises

Beyond the ongoing debate over Bellingham’s inclusion - especially with stiff competition in the No. 10 role from Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze, and Morgan Gibbs-White - Tuchel’s March squad features other changes. Harry Maguire and Kobbie Mainoo have earned recalls after strong performances under Michael Carrick.

It had been 18 months since any Manchester United player featured in an England squad. James Garner also receives his first senior call-up, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin returns for the first time since 2021. Established stars like Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, and Declan Rice remain included.

Two players called up to the #ThreeLions for the first time – plus plenty of returning faces! 🤝

Our head coach talks us through the big talking points...
— England (@England) March 20, 2026

Young talents and notable absences

The much-discussed Max Dowman, Arsenal’s record-breaking 16-year-old Premier League scorer, did not make the squad. Some British outlets suggested a training call-up might be appropriate but not a World Cup spot. Dowman has logged only 236 minutes in seven first-team appearances this season.

Other absences include Jack Grealish, sidelined by surgery in February, and Luke Shaw, displaced by Lewis Hall despite being a regular for Manchester United. With Tuchel recently extended through 2028, the coach’s focus is on building the squad that will compete in the World Cup across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Full England squad for March friendlies

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle), Jason Steele (Brighton), James Trafford (Manchester City)

Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guéhi (Manchester City), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (Milan)

Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)

Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham)