England begin their 2026 World Cup campaign against Croatia on Wednesday, with one of the biggest talking points still Thomas Tuchel’s decision to leave Cole Palmer out of his squad. The Chelsea playmaker was among several high-profile omissions, alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold and Phil Foden, despite many expecting him to make England’s final 26-man roster.

Palmer, like Chelsea, did not enjoy his best season and has made only three appearances for England since the start of 2025. However, as one of the Premier League’s most decisive attacking players in recent years, many, including Nike, which featured him in a World Cup commercial, assumed he was a lock for Tuchel’s squad.

That wasn’t the case.

Palmer’s production in front of goal has dipped since his breakthrough 2023-24 campaign with the Blues, when he scored 25 goals in 45 appearances. He followed that with 18 goals in 52 games before managing just 11 in 34 matches last season.

Palmer ultimately paid the price for that drop in form, as well as England’s wealth of options in attacking midfield, with Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze also competing for places.

Tuchel’s “team-first” philosophy

“From day one we were clear we were trying to build the best possible team, which is not necessarily the 26 most talented players,” Tuchel explained after announcing his World Cup roster.

“Teams win championships, and what we’re trying to achieve can only be achieved as a team,” the German continued. “We have players ready and committed to the idea of team spirit and being unselfish.”

“We have specialists for different scenarios, when we’re leading, when we’re chasing a result. We have always said we want to be a strong set-piece team, so we have specialists for that, and we want to be a strong penalty team, we have specialists for that.”

Difficult decisions on England’s biggest stars

Although the former Chelsea coach did not mention Palmer individually, he suggested leaving out one of England’s most gifted technical players was one of the toughest parts of selecting his squad.

“I’m very confident in the group we chose,” Tuchel said. “Very difficult decisions. Painful conversations. Difficult to explain to the players. But what we try to achieve we achieve as a team.

“If everyone is selected, it’s a given we have to leave some extraordinary players and extraordinary personalities at home.”

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.