Sport
Has Phil Foden played himself out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup?
Thomas Tuchel isn’t once to mince his words and he certainly didn’t hold back in his assessment of Phil Foden’s latest performance for England. “In moments I thought he could be a bit more adventurous, taking a risk like a number 10, trying some stuff,” said the Three Lions boss, echoing the views of fans frustrated at Foden’s recent displays.
While Tuchel also praised Foden for playing against Uruguay with “responsibility,” it’s fair to say the 25-year-old didn’t make the impression he’d surely hoped to. In fact, Foden might have played himself out of England’s World Cup squad with competition in the attacking midfield area so stiff.
Deployed as a true number 10 behind Dominic Solanke last Friday, Foden had the opportunity to prove why he deserves a seat on the plane to the USA, Canada and Mexico this summer. This is meant to be his best position. The role that suits the Manchester City playmaker best.
In the past, Foden has been shoe-horned in on the left wing. Gareth Southgate’s approach also denied Foden service in between the lines, resulting in the midfielder dropping deep into the centre of the pitch to get touches of the ball. This then meant he was too far away from goal to impact play in the final third.
Against Uruguay, though, Tuchel built his England team around Foden. He had a midfield platform of James Garner and Jordan Henderson behind him, Noni Madueke and Marcus Rashford as quality wingers on either side of him and a position where he could get on the ball and get turned towards goal.
And yet Foden rarely did that. He registered just 42 touches of the ball and made just five passes into the final third. While Garner impressed in central midfield and Rashford showed why he should be England’s starting left winger at this summer’s World Cup, Foden drifted through the game.
It’s been a similar story for Foden at club level too. While the 25-year-old started the 2025/26 season strongly, he has more recently lost his place in the Manchester City lineup. Indeed, Pep Guardiola now favours Rayan Cherki and even Antoine Semenyo in an attacking through in the centre of the pitch.
Two seasons ago, Foden was the best player in the Premier League. He won the PFA Player of the Year award for a sparkling 2023/24 campaign which saw the City midfielder register an incredible 19 goals and eight assists in just 35 games. Nobody was playing at a higher level than Foden at that time.
Since then, though, Foden has undeniably regressed. The swagger has disappeared from his play. He’s no longer getting into the same positions where he can directly influence matches and that has seen him fall down the pecking order for club and country. Friday’s performance against Uruguay was proof of this.
In another position, it would still be guaranteed that a player of Foden’s natural talent would be included in the 26-man World Cup squad. However, Tuchel has a selection headache in the attacking midfield area. England might have more world class players in this position than any other national team at this moment in time.
Jude Bellingham surely must be accommodated somewhere in the lineup. Then there’s Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers, both of whom are among the best natural creators in the Premier League. Foden could be squeezed out by the sheer level of competition within the England squad.
Tuchel can’t afford to make decisions on what some players might have achieved in the past. England need their best players to be at the peak of their powers at this summer’s World Cup and it might simply be the case that Foden is not able to do that. He could fall by the wayside.
