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Alex Scott is England's only eligible call-up option as Ngumoha ruled out of World Cup squad

Rio Ngumoha cannot join England's World Cup squad despite training with the group in Miami, as FIFA rules require late replacements to come from the original 55-man provisional list — which the 17-year-old Liverpool winger was never part of. Bournemouth's Alex Scott remains the sole eligible stand-by option.

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Alex Scott is England's only eligible call-up option as Ngumoha ruled out of World Cup squad
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Rio Ngumoha will not be able to join England’s World Cup squad under any circumstances, with FIFA regulations confirming the 17-year-old Liverpool winger is ineligible for a late call-up despite training with Thomas Tuchel’s group in Miami ahead of the tournament.

Ngumoha was brought into the England camp to bolster training numbers after players from Crystal Palace and Arsenal arrived late due to European final commitments. However, because he was not included on the preliminary 55-man squad submitted to FIFA before the tournament, he cannot be promoted to the 26-man roster regardless of injuries or illness within the group.

Under World Cup regulations, teams may make changes to their squad for injury or illness reasons up to 24 hours before their opening match. Any replacement must be drawn from that original 55-man provisional list. Ngumoha, along with Josh King and Ethan Nwaneri, does not meet that criterion.

The only player currently touring with the squad who qualifies for a late promotion is Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott. Unlike the others, Scott was named in the preliminary 55-man party, making him eligible to step in should an injury occur before England’s opener against Croatia on Wednesday, June 17.

Once the tournament begins, FIFA rules become even more restrictive — only goalkeepers can be replaced in the event of an emergency, closing the door entirely on outfield additions.

Ngumoha will remain with the squad in a training capacity and is set to feature against Costa Rica in England’s final pre-tournament friendly, continuing to gain senior international experience. He previously appeared in England’s 1-0 friendly win against New Zealand.

His exclusion from the official squad carries a notable historical footnote: Liverpool will not have a single player in an England squad at a major tournament for the first time since 1986, ending a 40-year run of Anfield representation at the biggest international stages.

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