The Big Picture
Thomas Tuchel dropping Harry Maguire from England’s 2026 World Cup squad has dominated the week’s news cycle.
"Former England captain Wayne Rooney says Harry Maguire is 'very unlucky' to miss out on a place in Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad this summer."
We are just 20 days away from the 2026 World Cup kickoff, and the discourse is already toxic. Rooney's comments to the BBC only add fuel to the fire.
It happens every four years. A manager makes a ruthless call, the media melts down, and a veteran is left booking a holiday instead of a flight to the tournament. Maguire's exclusion is massive, but it's hardly the first time a nation has been stunned by a squad list. Managers routinely gamble their jobs on these omissions. Sometimes they look like tactical geniuses. Usually, they just look stubborn. Here are the top 10 moments a major star was shockingly left home.
10. Leroy Sané (Germany, 2018)
Joachim Low decided the PFA Young Player of the Year simply did not fit his system. Sané had just torn up the Premier League, registering 10 goals and 15 assists in a dominant title-winning campaign. Low opted for Julian Brandt. Germany crashed out in the group stage, finishing last behind Sweden and Mexico.
The decision looked arrogant at the time and completely foolish in hindsight. Sané provided raw pace and width that the stale German attack desperately needed against deep blocks. Brandt barely played in Russia. It remains one of the most baffling tactical omissions in modern international football. Low essentially burned a generational talent over a slight tactical disagreement.
9. Radja Nainggolan (Belgium, 2018)
Roberto Martinez and Nainggolan never saw eye to eye. The combative midfielder was coming off a brilliant season with Roma, dragging them to the Champions League semi-finals. Martinez left him out of the squad for Russia, citing vague tactical reasons and an unwillingness to give Nainggolan a bench role.
Nainggolan immediately retired from international duty in absolute disgust. While Belgium eventually reached the semi-finals, their midfield often lacked the sheer bite and aggression Nainggolan provided in Serie A. They were too clean, too polite. The clash of egos deprived the Golden Generation of their most ferocious competitor when they needed a disruptor against France.
8. Landon Donovan (USA, 2014)
Jurgen Klinsmann took an axe to USMNT history when he cut Landon Donovan from the final 23-man roster for Brazil. Donovan was the face of American soccer, the nation's all-time top scorer, and the undisputed hero of 2010. Klinsmann argued other players were slightly ahead of him physically and technically at that specific moment.
Brad Davis and Aron Johannsson went instead. The United States escaped the Group of Death but fell to Belgium in the Round of 16. That match cried out for a clinical finisher late in extra time. Klinsmann's son openly mocked Donovan on Twitter. It felt deeply personal from the manager, a power play designed to assert total control over the federation.
7. Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso (Argentina, 2010)
Diego Maradona's stint as Argentina manager was a total fever dream. His crowning achievement of baffling decisions was leaving out Zanetti and Cambiasso just weeks after they won the treble with Inter Milan. Maradona instead preferred Jonas Gutierrez and Maxi Rodriguez.
Argentina's midfield was subsequently overrun by Germany in a humiliating 4-0 quarter-final exit. Leaving home two of the most tactically astute, defensively sound players in Europe while carrying a top-heavy squad of attackers was a glaring managerial failure. Maradona wanted vibes and attacking flair. He got dismantled by a ruthless, structured German machine. Zanetti and Cambiasso watched it unfold on television.
6. Romario (Brazil, 1998)
The hero of the 1994 World Cup was left out of Mario Zagallo's 1998 squad due to a muscular injury, despite Romario insisting he would be fit by the knockout stages. The striker gave a tearful press conference that gripped the nation.
Zagallo refused to gamble on his fitness, taking Bebeto to partner the young phenomenon Ronaldo. Brazil reached the final but looked completely lost against France. Given the bizarre mystery surrounding Ronaldo's final-day medical collapse, a fully fit Romario waiting in the wings could have dramatically altered the outcome at the Stade de France. Zagallo never lived it down.
5. Roy Keane (Republic of Ireland, 2002)
Technically named to the squad, but sent home before a single ball was kicked. The Saipan incident completely split a nation. Mick McCarthy and his captain had a complete breakdown in relations over training facilities, practice gear, and preparation standards. Keane expected Manchester United levels of professionalism. He got a car park in Saipan.
Keane famously told McCarthy where to stick his World Cup in a blazing row. Ireland performed admirably without him, losing to Spain on penalties in the knockout stage. Yet, the question of how far a prime Roy Keane could have dragged that talented midfield still haunts Irish football history. It was a spectacular implosion.
4. Karim Benzema (France, 2010)
Raymond Domenech left out Benzema and Samir Nasri following a disastrous Euro 2008 and a turbulent qualification campaign. Benzema was struggling to establish himself in his first season at Real Madrid. Domenech wanted harmony and a hard-working squad.
France's 2010 campaign devolved into a complete farce anyway, culminating in the infamous player strike at Knysna. Looking back, keeping Benzema away from that toxic, mutinous environment might have been the best thing for his long-term career. He avoided the permanent stain of the 2010 disaster. However, omitting a striker of his caliber for a squad that completely imploded internally remains a massive what-if for the French federation.
3. Roberto Baggio (Italy, 2002)
Giovanni Trapattoni broke millions of hearts when he absolutely refused to take a 35-year-old Roberto Baggio to Japan and South Korea. The Divine Ponytail had recovered from a torn ACL in record time, scoring 11 goals in 12 Serie A matches for Brescia specifically to prove his fitness.
Trapattoni stuck to his pragmatic philosophy, favoring Francesco Totti and Alessandro Del Piero. Italy were controversially eliminated by South Korea in the Round of 16. Baggio’s absence denied the world one last dance for the most universally beloved Italian player of his generation. Trapattoni chose rigid structure over romance.
2. Paul Gascoigne (England, 1998)
Glenn Hoddle’s decision to drop Paul Gascoigne from the final squad for France 98 is deeply embedded in English football folklore. Hoddle cited fitness and focus issues after Gascoigne was pictured eating kebabs late at night. When informed of the decision in La Manga, Gascoigne completely destroyed his hotel room in a furious rage.
England went out to Argentina on penalties in the Round of 16. Gascoigne’s international career effectively ended that afternoon in Spain. While Hoddle was probably justified purely on physical grounds, the squad lost its maverick genius. Gascoigne lost his final shot at redemption on the biggest stage. The midfield lacked his chaotic invention against Diego Simeone and Juan Sebastian Veron.
1. Harry Maguire (England, 2026)
We return to the immediate present. Thomas Tuchel has just sent absolute shockwaves through the English camp by dropping Harry Maguire ahead of the North American tournament. For years, Maguire has been the ultimate tournament player for England. His club form routinely dipped, but he was an absolute rock for Gareth Southgate in major competitions.
Tuchel clearly favors a higher defensive line and different ball-playing profiles. Dropping an established dressing room leader just weeks before a World Cup is a massive, defining gamble. If England’s defense falters against top opposition, Tuchel will face merciless, relentless scrutiny. He owns this decision entirely. The pressure is strictly on the manager now.
Honorable Mentions
Alexandre Pato missing out for Brazil in 2010 despite lighting up San Siro. Theo Walcott being taken as a rookie in 2006 only to never play, then dropped in 2010 when he was actually an established winger. Fernando Redondo outright refusing to cut his hair for Daniel Passarella in 1998, missing out on principle. The sheer volume of elite talent left home every four years proves one ultimate truth: managing a national team is a thankless, brutal, and entirely unforgiving job.
