On the list of great players missing the 2026 World Cup is Cole Palmer, who wasn't called by England for this competition. The list of talented players who will not be part of the 2026 World Cup always includes some big names. A clear example this time is England, where Cole Palmer has been left out of the squad. Palmer is missing the competition because Thomas Tuchel did not call him up. The decision, which surprised many, was not due to a sudden injury, but rather a tactical choice based on form and fitness. After a difficult season with Chelsea, Palmer went through a dip in form and some lingering fitness issues. Tuchel ultimately decided that the midfielder was not sharp enough for a tournament of this level and left him out of the final squad. Palmer’s season with Chelsea It was a frustrating season for Palmer. After a brilliant first year at Chelsea, where he scored 25 goals in 45 matches, the creative midfielder was more inconsistent, just as the club was too in the next two years there. Palmer did not play at his best this year (Stu Forster/Getty Images) With Chelsea struggling for consistency and finishing the Premier League season in 10th place, Palmer was unable to repeat his previous heroics. He still managed 10 goals in 26 league appearances, but he lacked his usual clinical edge in the final months of the campaign. Even though Palmer proved to be important for England at Euro 2024, with an assist for Ollie Watkins in the semifinal against the Netherlands and a goal in the final against Spain under Gareth Southgate, Tuchel did not value that experience enough. The midfielders Tuchel preferred players with more pace than a possession-based midfielder like Palmer. The midfielders chosen by Tuchel were Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Kobbie Mainoo, Elliot Anderson, Jordan Henderson, Morgan Rogers, and Eberechi Eze.
The eyes of the world were mesmerised by the untouchable Lionel Messi as he wrote himself into history by scoring a stunning hat-trick to give Argentina the perfect start to their World Cup title defence, beating Algeria 3-0 in Kansas.
One of the biggest sporting events on the planet is about to begin. Starting on Thursday, the FIFA World Cup gets underway in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The World Cup begins with the group stage, as the 48 teams in the field battle it out to secure one of the 32 spots in […]
