Maguire wishes England luck before World Cup semi-final despite shock Tuchel snub

Harry Maguire put aside his disappointment at being left out of England’s World Cup squad to wish the Three Lions well ahead of their semi-final against Argentina, posting a brief message of support on Instagram just hours before kick-off.

The Manchester United centre-back was one of the more surprising omissions when Thomas Tuchel named his squad for the tournament in North America this summer. Maguire had been a key figure under United head coach Michael Carrick last season, helping the club lose just twice in the Premier League after January and finish third — securing Champions League football for the first time since 2023. That form was not enough to earn him a place in the national squad.

The reaction from those close to Maguire was fierce. His mother publicly described herself as “absolutely disgusted” by Tuchel’s decision, amplifying what was already a story that drew widespread attention in England.

Maguire, 33, has spent the tournament working as a pundit on Gary Lineker’s Netflix show, The Rest is Football, and has been candid about how the snub landed. He revealed that Tuchel informed him and other omitted players via FaceTime — a method he described as “quite an awkward call” — after receiving a text that morning asking him to speak at 4pm.

“It was a surprise. I said straight away it was a surprise,” Maguire said on the show. “I was really disappointed, and I thought I’d done enough to make the squad and help the lads out there. I thought I still had a part to play on the pitch and off the pitch. I was disappointed at the time, but the manager has made his decision, and he’s gone with the 26. It’s part of football, and I’ll move on quickly from it.”

Maguire also admitted to having “had words” with Tuchel following the decision, though he has since spoken to several members of the England squad to offer his support.

Despite the hurt of watching from the outside as England reached the last four of the World Cup, the former Leicester City and Hull defender kept his public message simple and gracious. “All the best lads,” he wrote on his Instagram stories, accompanied by an England flag.

England’s run to the semi-finals without Maguire will inevitably fuel debate about whether Tuchel made the right call — but for now, the man at the centre of that debate appears focused on supporting his country rather than relitigating the decision.