Harry Maguire delivered one of the most commanding performances of his England career during Saturday’s 1-1 friendly draw with Uruguay at Wembley and it still was not enough to move the needle in Thomas Tuchel’s eyes. The England manager confirmed after the match that despite his satisfaction with Maguire’s display, the Manchester United defender remains his fifth-choice centre-back, with the summer World Cup a still-distant prospect.
Maguire looked to have strengthened his case for a place on the plane to North America after a polished performance on his return to the national team setup, his first appearance under Tuchel, playing the second half as captain in a display that has characterised his England career at its best.
Yet Tuchel was unmoved on the hierarchy. The German acknowledged the Manchester United defender’s strengths but confirmed he remains behind Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, John Stones, and the injured Trevoh Chalobah in the pecking order. “I got exactly what I thought solid, solid central defender play,” Tuchel said. When pressed on whether Maguire would be in the squad if it had to be named today, Tuchel was characteristically blunt: “If, if, if. We don’t need to name the squad tomorrow. He did a good game. He did what he does for Man United. He did it straight away. I’m very happy with him. To be honest, I haven’t changed my mind.”
The admission stings all the more given the circumstances of Maguire’s recall. The 33-year-old had not been called up by Tuchel in any of his previous squads since taking the job at the start of 2025, with the manager previously citing his lack of form and difficult position in Ruben Amorim’s back-three system as reasons for his absence. That picture changed dramatically when Michael Carrick replaced Amorim in January, with Maguire starting every league fixture since and earning consistent public backing from his manager.
With 64 caps and 12 World Cup appearances to his name, Maguire’s leadership credentials heading into the summer tournament are qualities Tuchel has acknowledged but they are not enough to displace a queue of rivals that, when fully fit, leaves little room for sentiment.
The injury situation does offer a narrow window of hope. John Stones was not involved against Uruguay after feeling his calf in training, continuing a frustrating run of physical setbacks that has limited him to just five appearances since November. Despite that, Tuchel described Stones as having “credit in the bank” and called him “world class,” hinting strongly that the Manchester City defender remains in his plans if fit.
The broader picture of England’s squad for this month’s friendlies has been dominated by bold calls. Trent Alexander-Arnold was the headline omission from Tuchel’s 35-man group — a shock exclusion that team-mates say has left him “very fearful” for his World Cup chances — while Ollie Watkins and Luke Shaw were also left out. Maguire’s United teammates Kobbie Mainoo also earned a recall alongside him, having been absent from the national setup since September 2024 following a difficult spell under Amorim.
For Maguire, the challenge is now stark: perform flawlessly against Japan on March 31, hope injuries create an opening, and trust that Tuchel’s admission that he “could be in it” if the squad were named tomorrow eventually crystallises into a confirmed seat on the plane to North America this summer.