Taking wildcards, leaving out stars - the art of World Cup squad building
By Chris Evans
Published on March 23, 2026.
Thomas Tuchel, the German football manager, is facing difficult decisions as he hosts the last international camp before naming his preliminary England squad for the World Cup. He will need to decide which players he wants to take to North America and which ones to leave at home. Despite previously discussing a long list of 55 players for squad selection, selecting a final 23 will not be easy. International managers have a tendency to overachieve with players who are forced to sit on the bench for their country rather than start every match, which can cause friction.
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