England captain Harry Kane has thrown his support behind manager Thomas Tuchel's final 26-man World Cup squad, which features several surprise inclusions and notable omissions. Tuchel named his squad on Thursday, with Harry Maguire, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden among the high-profile players left out, while Djed Spence and Ivan Toney earned unexpected call-ups.
Tuchel explained the decision to include Tottenham's Djed Spence, who has struggled for club minutes this season. "He brings something to the group that we don't have in his profile. He loves defending. He is the fastest player in our squad," Tuchel said. Spence's versatility and physical attributes, including ranking in the 99th percentile for dribbling among global full-backs, were key factors.
Ivan Toney, now playing in the Saudi Pro League, was recalled after Tuchel held clear-the-air talks with the striker. Tuchel admitted Toney's previous commitment was not good enough but now sees him as a "special operations" player. "He is part of a specialty team, as part of a special operations team. He knows that, and that's his role," Tuchel added, highlighting Toney's potential as a super sub and penalty specialist.
England begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia on June 17, followed by Ghana on June 23 and Panama on June 27. The tournament, hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, kicks off on June 11. Tuchel also revealed that extra security will be placed around England's training base in Kansas City to prevent any spying incidents, following Southampton's recent punishment for similar offences.
