Adam Wharton was one of the polemic exclusion in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup list for England. Almost every World Cup squad sparks debate over which players should have been called up and which were left out. In England’s case, the name many believe Thomas Tuchel should not have omitted is Adam Wharton, who has now spoken about missing out on the tournament.
Wharton said: “I’m not going to sit around crying. It’s not the end of the world. I’m still young and I hope there will be other tournaments I can go to. Tuchel told me I was close. But that’s football.”
What made the discussion grow even more was Wharton’s recent performance in Crystal Palace’s win over Rayo Vallecano, which secured the Conference League title. The midfielder was the standout player of the match and showed the kind of talent Tuchel may regret leaving out.
England’s midfielders
The era of elite England midfielders such as Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes may never be repeated. They are legends of the game, albeit they were never able to win a major tournament.
Player of the match: Adam Wharton 🤳#UECLfinal pic.twitter.com/6xpHks9JXp— UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) May 27, 2026
This squad still includes plenty of talented players, even if not at that level. The exception is probably Declan Rice, who has been excellent for several years and whose rise with Arsenal has put him above most of the current midfield options.
Tuchel’s decision was heavily criticized by many after he included Jordan Henderson. The former Liverpool midfielder has not been the same since leaving the club and is about to turn 36, but the manager valued his experience.
Wharton may have missed out because of Kobbie Mainoo’s rise, which was enough to convince the manager to leave the left-footed midfielder out. Another player competing for that spot, Elliott Anderson, did make the squad.
Among the other midfielders selected, there was little debate, with Jude Bellingham still an obvious choice despite a poor season with Real Madrid, and Morgan Rogers included after an excellent finish to the campaign with Aston Villa.
England’s missing names
Wharton was not the only notable omission from Tuchel’s squad as Harry Maguire is also absent despite Manchester United’s improvement. Phil Foden and Cole Palmer are other creative players who missed out after disappointing club seasons. Trent Alexander-Arnold also joined them after dealing with injuries.