As England chase World Cup glory in 2026, a look at footballs most infamous squad omissions, from Theo Walcott over Jermain Defoe to Jürgen Klinsmann leaving out Landon Donovan.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is just four months away, and does any nation head to North America under more pressure to deliver the trophy than England?
After back-to-back European Championship final defeats, the English FA placed their faith in a German, hiring Thomas Tuchel to replace the outgoing Gareth Southgate with just one objective: End 60 years of hurt.
The former Chelsea manager led the Blues to a shock UEFA Champions League triumph in 2021, and the powers that be at the FA looked at that overachievement in a knockout competition as the defining factor in his appointment. Tuchel hit the ground running, leading England to eight wins from eight in qualifying, topping their group without conceding a single goal. Now, online betting sites have sat up and taken notice.
England Remain Contenders Despite Bellingham's Form
The latest World Cup odds make the Three Lions an 11/2 second-favorite to leave MetLife Stadium with the famous gold trophy in tow on July 19th. Only Spain (9/2) is considered more likely, the team that famously beat England in that second straight Euro final in the summer of 2024. But if they are to claim the crown in North America this summer, they may well have to do it without two of their biggest names: Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Bellingham was the star of the show for England in Germany two years ago, netting that spectacular last-gasp overhead kick against Slovakia to keep his side in the tournament. Since then, though, things have gone downhill. This term, the Real Madrid man has managed just two goals and two assists since the start of December, hardly the type of form that saw him lead Los Blancos to a La Liga-Champions League double in 2024.
For Trent, things are looking even bleaker. The former Liverpool man was supposed to be the answer to Real Madrid's problems at right back when he signed last summer. Instead, he has spent more time in the treatment room, managing just six starts all season. He is in real danger of missing a spot in Tuchel's World Cup squad altogether, while Bellingham may well find himself on the bench as the likes of Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers are preferred.
But will he be there at all? If Bellingham does not make the squad, it will be one of the most shocking World Cup omissions of all time. But as these two prove, shocking omissions and the World Cup go hand in hand.
17-Year-old Walcott Beats Defoe to Germany 2006
Picture Jermain Defoe's phone vibrating in May 2006. A text from the FA. Not the call-up he'd earned through years of Premier League goals—standby. He stares at the message, confused. Who'd they drop him for? Darren Bent, who'd just banged in 18 goals for mid-table Charlton? Then he sees the squad announcement. Seventeen-year-old Theo Walcott—who'd never played a Premier League match—is going to Germany.
"I don't know who this guy was," Defoe later recalled, fury barely concealed. "I'd only seen Championship footage at Southampton. I'd scored so many goals in the Premier League, debuted for England and scored against Poland. Then I get a text saying I'm on standby." His teammates—Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand—told him to confront manager Sven-Göran Eriksson. But what could he say? The Swede hadn't even watched Walcott play live before selecting him.
Defoe traveled to Germany anyway, sharp and fit in training, waiting for Wayne Rooney's broken metatarsal to rule him out. It didn't. Defoe went home. Walcott stayed. Never played a minute. Not even when Michael Owen tore his ACL against Sweden. Not when England crashed out on penalties to Portugal. Not once.
Eriksson's defense? "Jermain had a very bad season." Nine goals in 36 appearances, sure—but fifth in England's scoring charts. Eriksson's real justification was chilling: "If you don't have a clear one, then why don't you take a young, talented one? Because the player picked as number 23 will not win the World Cup for you, for sure." Except Defoe wasn't number 23. He was the experienced striker who could've replaced Owen. Instead, England gambled on the teenager, and they were punished with yet more penalty shootout heartbreak.
Jürgen Klinsmann Axes Landon Donovan
12 years on from Landon Donovan's retirement, he remains the United States' greatest ever player. Throughout his time representing the Stars and Stripes, he racked up 57 goals in 157 caps, playing at three World Cups and becoming his country's talismanic leader long before Captain America became popular. The goal against Algeria in 2010 that sent America through remains the most iconic moment in U.S. Soccer history, but none of that mattered to manager Jürgen Klinsmann.
May 2014: Donovan was omitted from even the preliminary squad for Brazil. Not dropped—erased. America's greatest player wouldn't get a farewell. Klinsmann's reasoning? Fitness concerns, tactical fit, and younger players deserving of opportunities. But the subtext was unmistakable: Donovan represented MLS, American soccer's supposed mediocrity. Klinsmann's European philosophy demanded European-based players. Donovan's sabbatical from late 2012 through March 2013—when he'd questioned his commitment to the grind—gave Klinsmann the ammunition.
"With the World Cup on the horizon, that was a big goal of mine," Donovan admitted months later, announcing his retirement at 32. "I was excited for it, and I wouldn't have made the commitment I did last year if I didn't feel that way." Then came the dagger: "I certainly wasn't going to allow one person's poor choice to impact a decision like this."
Klinsmann stood firm. "The players that were in his position, whether it's forward or midfield, are just ahead of him," he insisted. Were they? The USA advanced from the group stage in Brazil, finishing ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal and vindicating Klinsmann's decision. But Donovan's axing fractured American soccer to its core, and the German manager didn't remain in the hot seat much longer.
