Rooney Labels Tuchel’s Alexander-Arnold Snub ‘Mind-boggling’ Ahead Of 2026 World Cup

Former England captain Wayne Rooney has criticised Thomas Tuchel for leaving Trent Alexander-Arnold out of recent England squads ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, calling the decision “mind-boggling”.

Alexander-Arnold has been overlooked in Tuchel’s last four squads despite returning to regular action for Real Madrid after recovering from a thigh injury earlier this year.

Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Podcast on Thursday, Rooney questioned why Ben White had been selected ahead of the former Liverpool defender.

“No disrespect to Ben White, I think he’s a fantastic player, but for him to be in the squad and playing ahead of Trent is mind-boggling,” Rooney said.

Tuchel included Tino Livramento, Djed Spence and Ezri Konsa among his defensive options for England’s final home friendlies before the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Rooney admitted he would still choose Reece James as England’s first-choice right-back if fit, although he raised concerns about the defender’s reliability.

“Reece James isn’t the most defensive,” Rooney said. “In terms of the lads who are there, you wouldn’t say they’re the best defensively anyway.”

Former England defender Phil Jagielka also backed Alexander-Arnold to earn a place on the plane.

“I think he probably still makes it,” Jagielka said. “You need your best players. If he proves he can play half as well as he played for most of his time at Liverpool, he’s definitely worth taking on the plane.”

Attention also turned to England’s left-back options, where Nico O’Reilly and Lewis Hall are battling for a starting place. Jagielka praised O’Reilly’s attacking ability but warned the youngster still has defensive weaknesses.

“I really, really enjoy watching O’Reilly, but he gets caught out of defence,” Jagielka said. “I’d go O’Reilly at this moment in time, but there’s literally nothing between him and Lewis.”

Rooney, however, said tournament experience should count in major competitions, backing Luke Shaw to bring balance to the side.

“We don’t need our full-backs to be the most attacking; we need them to defend,” Rooney said. “Keep the balance and let the attacking players win you the games.”