Tuchel Names 35-Man England Squad for Final Pre-World Cup Friendlies, Recalls Maguire and Drops Alexander-Arnold

Thomas Tuchel stood behind the lectern at Wembley Stadium last Friday and delivered what amounted to a dress rehearsal for his World Cup squad — a 35-man selection for England's final home friendlies before the tournament kicks off in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer Man Utd defender Maguire recalled in Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

The enlarged group for the matches against Uruguay on March 27 and Japan four days later was not a courtesy exercise. Tuchel has designed a split-squad system that will give him a close look at fringe candidates while managing the workload of his established starters at a punishing stage of the domestic season Man Utd defender Maguire recalled in Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

The headline recall belonged to Harry Maguire. The 33-year-old Manchester United defender, capped 64 times, has not featured for England since 2024 and was among the players who missed the squad for the European Championship, where England reached the final before losing to Spain Man Utd defender Maguire recalled in Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup.. His return is a direct reward for a sustained run of form at Old Trafford under Michael Carrick, who took charge of United in January and has steered the club to third place in the Premier League Man Utd defender Maguire recalled in Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

Tuchel was unequivocal about the reasoning. He said Maguire had delivered strong performances and was a key figure in United's resurgence, describing him as a big reason for the club's improved results. The manager offered similar praise for Kobbie Mainoo, the 21-year-old United midfielder who was also recalled after a spell outside the squad Man Utd defender Maguire recalled in Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

Mainoo's return alongside Maguire underlines how far United have come under Carrick. The pair have been central to a run that has lifted the club from mid-table into the Champions League places, and Tuchel appears to view their domestic partnership as something worth examining in an international context Man Utd defender Maguire recalled in Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

The Omissions That Speak Loudest

If Maguire's inclusion was the reward side of the ledger, the omission of Trent Alexander-Arnold was its sharpest penalty. The Real Madrid defender, who moved to Spain from Liverpool, was left out of a 35-man squad — a selection large enough that exclusion carries a pointed message Man Utd defender Maguire recalled to Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

Tuchel described it as a tough decision and acknowledged Alexander-Arnold's talent and impressive career. But he said he had opted for other players at right-back and that the remaining candidates in camp would need to push to earn their spot on the plane to the World Cup Man Utd defender Maguire recalled to Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

The omission lands heavily. Alexander-Arnold has had a stop-start international career under multiple managers, and being excluded from the largest squad Tuchel has named casts significant doubt on whether he will feature in the tournament. At 27, with 32 caps, his window is narrowing Man Utd defender Maguire recalled to Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

Ollie Watkins, Morgan Gibbs-White and Luke Shaw were the other notable absentees. Each now faces a difficult final stretch of the season knowing that the World Cup squad announcement in May could pass them by Man Utd defender Maguire recalled in Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

A Squad of Two Halves

Tuchel's structural innovation was to split his 35 players into two distinct groups. A 24-man contingent, including four goalkeepers, will prepare for and play the Uruguay match. After that game, 11 senior players will rotate in for the Japan fixture, with some members of the original group standing down Man Utd defender Maguire recalled in Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

The manager explained that the approach would allow everyone to receive proper focus and give him the opportunity to assess players who had not featured in recent camps. He confirmed that no more than 23 outfield players would be available for the Japan match Man Utd defender Maguire recalled in Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

The 24-man Uruguay squad includes Maguire, Mainoo, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento from Newcastle, Fikayo Tomori from AC Milan, and Jarell Quansah from Bayer Leverkusen in defence. James Garner, the Everton midfielder, received his first England call-up, while Jason Steele of Brighton was also included for the first time — though the veteran goalkeeper is expected to serve primarily as a training option Man Utd defender Maguire recalled in Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

The 11 players joining for Japan read like a statement of intent for the World Cup itself: Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Marc Guehi, Anthony Gordon and Dean Henderson among them Man Utd defender Maguire recalled in Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

The Bellingham Question

Jude Bellingham's name in the squad came with a caveat. The Real Madrid midfielder has been sidelined since early February with a hamstring injury and will not play against Uruguay. Tuchel said the best-case scenario was that Bellingham could get some minutes against Japan, but the priority was careful management of his fitness Man Utd defender Maguire recalled in Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

Bellingham's inclusion on a training-only basis for the first match reflects both his importance to England's World Cup campaign and the caution required around an injury that has already kept him out of competitive football for nearly two months Man Utd defender Maguire recalled in Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

Other Recalls and First Caps

Beyond Maguire and Mainoo, several returning players signal Tuchel's willingness to look beyond recent squad regulars. Fikayo Tomori, who last played for England in 2023, has been brought back after strong performances in Serie A with AC Milan. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, now at Leeds United, has not featured since 2021 but has forced his way back into contention with consistent goal-scoring form Man Utd defender Maguire recalled in Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

Dominic Solanke of Tottenham and Lewis Hall of Newcastle were also recalled, while Tino Livramento returns to the squad. The breadth of the selection — spanning players from the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga — reflects the depth of the English talent pool and Tuchel's determination to stress-test every option before the World Cup Man Utd defender Maguire recalled in Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

The Dowman Debate

One name that was not in the squad but dominated the press conference was Max Dowman. The 16-year-old Arsenal midfielder recently became the youngest scorer in Premier League history and has generated excitement with his performances for the league leaders.

Tuchel took a measured approach. He said there was no need to call Dowman up now and increase the pressure on him, noting that the teenager was not yet a regular starter at Arsenal. But the manager was careful not to close any doors, saying he kept the door open for anyone regardless of age and that a World Cup call-up remained possible Man Utd defender Maguire recalled in Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

The comparison to Lamine Yamal, who helped Spain win Euro 2024 at 17, was inevitable. Tuchel acknowledged the game was getting younger but warned against the hype that comes with such comparisons, noting that Yamal had accumulated significantly more club minutes before his international breakthrough Man Utd defender Maguire recalled in Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

What Comes Next

England's World Cup preparations extend beyond these March friendlies. Additional warm-up matches against New Zealand and Costa Rica are scheduled for June before the squad travels to North America Man Utd defender Maguire recalled in Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

England have been drawn in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama. Their opening match is set for June 17 against Croatia in Dallas — a repeat of their 2018 World Cup semi-final meeting, though the circumstances and squads have changed considerably since then Man Utd defender Maguire recalled in Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

The Uruguay and Japan matches represent the last significant opportunity for players on the fringe to make their case. For Maguire, it is a chance to cement a remarkable return from international wilderness. For Alexander-Arnold and the other omitted players, the next few weeks of club football have taken on an urgency that extends well beyond domestic concerns Man Utd defender Maguire recalled to Tuchel's England squadchannelnewsasia.com·SecondaryFILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester United - Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, Britain - February 23, 2026 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff/File Photo March 20 : England have brought back defender Harry Maguire for this month's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, with manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday naming a 35-man squad as his side continues preparations for the World Cup..

Tuchel's 35-man squad, split into two halves and loaded with tactical purpose, suggests a manager who has moved past the experimental phase and into the business of finalizing a World Cup team. The friendly matches at Wembley are the audition. The casting decisions will follow in May.