England World Cup squad confirmed; Guardiola to leave Manchester City

England confirmed its 26-man squad for the upcoming World Cup, with Djed Spence and Ivan Toney included, while Trent Alexander-Arnold was left out. The announcement occurred on May 22, 2026, shortly before the tournament in North America. The squad consists of goalkeepers Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), and James Trafford (Manchester City). The defender lineup features Reece James (Chelsea), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Marc Guéhi (Manchester City), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), John Stones (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Dan Burn (Newcastle), and Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur). Midfielders include Declan Rice (Arsenal), Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), and Eberechi Eze (Arsenal). The forwards selected are Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), and Anthony Gordon (Newcastle).

In other news, Pep Guardiola confirmed he will exit Manchester City, marking the end of an era due to his significant achievements with the club. Following Guardiola's announcement, Manchester United confirmed Michael Carrick's appointment as the new head coach, succeeding Erik ten Hag. This change comes ahead of the new season, as Carrick takes the helm at a crucial time for the club.

This live update also covered the Premier League's final day preview, where questions arose regarding the impact on English players, especially concerning potential moves to Saudi Arabia. Additionally, there was a discussion on the lineup for England's first World Cup game and an exploration of why certain players, like Jarrod Bowen, were excluded from the squad.

As the World Cup draws near, anticipation builds around what targets England should realistically aim for and how the squad will perform in a tournament setting.