Trent’s last chance
Having only made one of Thomas Tuchel’s six England squads, Trent Alexander-Arnold faces an uphill battle to snatch a spot at the World Cup.
Five matches to convince Thomas Tuchel. That’s all Trent Alexander-Arnold has left. His final chance to climb aboard the England plane to this summer’s World Cup in North America. A task that, judging by recent precedent, looks genuinely difficult - but his faith remains intact.
With Álvaro Arbeloa having declared him his right back at Real Madrid, the stage is set for Alexander-Arnold to roar. To reignite the debate. To strengthen his case. He’s appeared on just one of Tuchel’s six squad lists. Since the German took over as England manager, the Liverpudlian’s stock has steadily declined… and now comes the moment of truth.
He’ll try for the seventh list. The decisive one. Tuchel took over as England manager in January 2025, after the Nations League campaign (handled by Lee Carsley, with Alexander-Arnold as a regular starter). He was appointed as the coach to lead England on the road to the World Cup. Alexander-Arnold was unavailable through injury for Tuchel’s first squad, but he was included in the second - the one announced between the news of his signing for Real Madrid and the Club World Cup. His last call-up to date. He wasn’t selected for the third (shortly after that international break he suffered a tear in his left hamstring), and he missed the fourth due to the same issue.
March blow
But the final two absences have been the most telling. Alexander-Arnold missed out in November - and, above all, in the most recent window, in March. That squad announcement sent shockwaves. Tuchel named 35 players.
And the story doesn’t end there: Reece James, the presumed first-choice right back, was injured. Between the sheer size of the squad and that absence, everything seemed to be lining up for Alexander-Arnold. Yet he was still omitted. Tuchel called up Tino Livramento and Jarell Quansah ahead of him. And even that wasn’t the final twist: Quansah then got injured… and Tuchel turned to Ben White, who hadn’t been capped for four years. It was a heavy blow. Understandably so.
Tuchel’s six England squads
- March 2025: TAA left out (injured)
- June 2025: TAA included
- September 2025: TAA left out
- October 2025: TAA left out (injured)
- November 2025: TAA left out
- March 2026: TAA left out
The explanation
“I know it’s a tough one [for Alexander-Arnold],” Tuchel said as he discussed his “sporting decision” to omit the Madrid star for March’s internationals. “I know it’s a big name. I think it’s a huge talent and with a big career, but I feel that I know what Trent can give us and decided still to stick to the players who were in camp.”
The mission: win over Tuchel
From here on out, it’s on Trent. Because the picture is unavoidable: Tuchel has renewed his contract through Euro 2028. A move fast-tracked by the FA amid interest from Manchester United. Getting back into the England setup means convincing him. Changing his mind. There are no shortcuts - only that road. And the margin for error is slim: five matches left to roar. They’ll come against Espanyol (away), Barcelona (away), Real Oviedo (home), Sevilla (away) and Athletic Club (home). After that, there’s nothing left to play.
Alexander-Arnold is expected to feature in the vast majority of those 450 minutes. Because Arbeloa has made his call: the Englishman is his right back. No doubts. This season, Alexander-Arnold has logged 1,537 minutes across 26 matches. He’s started the last six Champions League games - an unmistakable barometer of who plays on the biggest nights. Alongside the debate over Dani Carvajal’s limited minutes, Alexander-Arnold is set to be the starting right back down the stretch. At a minimum, four starts await him.
They are his final bullets. His last shots at the target. His last chance to convince Tuchel that he belongs at the World Cup. It’s now or never. He knows it. He accepts it. This is the last train for Trent.
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