England boss Thomas Tuchel has dealt a major setback to Harry Maguire’s World Cup hopes, revealing the Manchester United centre-back currently ranks fifth in his defensive hierarchy.
Maguire made his first England start in 18 months during Friday’s 1-1 friendly draw with Uruguay at Wembley, delivering a composed performance in his first outing under Tuchel.
However, despite praising the 33-year-old’s solidity, composure, and aerial strength, Tuchel made it clear he favours other options. He named Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, John Stones and Trevoh Chalobah as being ahead of Maguire due to their differing profiles and mobility.
Tuchel noted that while Maguire performed as expected, his assessment of the defensive pecking order remains unchanged.
With just one more friendly against Japan to impress, Maguire faces a race against time to secure a place in England’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Meanwhile, Tuchel reaffirmed his faith in Stones—who missed the Uruguay clash due to injury—describing the Manchester City defender as “world class” with “credit in the bank” despite his recent lack of game time.
