The chosen and the forgotten: Tuchel finalises his 26-strong England World Cup squad

Carlo Ancelotti revealed Brazil’s World Cup squad with major spectacle, including a public confirmation that Neymar was included. England’s squad announcement on Friday will also bring razzmatazz, but with a digital-first approach by the Football Association. The England app will stream a live show from Wembley starting at 9.45am BST, featuring appearances from former internationals Theo Walcott and Daniel Sturridge. Thomas Tuchel will join for an interview and complete other media duties. Few surprises are expected because selection decisions were largely settled through phone calls. Harry Maguire’s public reaction after being excluded helped clarify the overall picture. Tuchel’s squad is expected to be defined by consistency, with Ivan Toney as a possible wildcard inclusion.

"Ancelotti took centre stage at the elegant Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday to reveal his 26 players, going name by name, the large audience of celebrities and influencers erupting when he eventually confirmed that Neymar was in. There will nevertheless be a sense of razzmatazz on Friday morning when Tuchel confirms his England squad for the tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico."

"The governing body will stream a live show from Wembley on its recently launched England app, which begins at 9.45am BST. It will feature appearances from the former England internationals, Theo Walcott and Daniel Sturridge, along with those all-important names, the ones that will carry the nation's dream. Tuchel will drop in for an interview before he conducts his other media activities."

"Yet it is doubtful there will be many surprises. Tuchel has made his phone calls, both joyful and difficult. And from the moment that Harry Maguire, who got one of the latter, went public at around 5pm on Thursday to say how shocked and gutted he was to have been excluded, the picture started to clear, the pieces falling into place."

"Tuchel's selection is set to be defined by consistency, as much as anything else the expected wildcard inclusion of Ivan Toney notwithstanding. He believes he has the right blend for the mission to put a second star on the shirt."

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