- Lewis Hall left out of England’s 26-man squad for 2026 FIFA World Cup
- Young left-back has been one of Newcastle United’s best players this season
- Thomas Tuchel’s bold selection call could cost England the World Cup
Lewis Hall has enjoyed a terrific season with Newcastle United, but the 21-year-old has been inexplicably left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The German’s 26-man squad has now been confirmed, with Nico O’Reilly expected to feature as the Three Lions’ starting left-back.
After arguably the best season of his senior career, Hall was expected to be named in the squad, so Tuchel’s decision has understandably come as a shock.
And it could prove to be costly as the Three Lions aim to get their hands on the trophy.
Lewis Hall snub will hurt England
Manchester United’s Luke Shaw has also been left out, making O’Reilly the only out-and-out left-back in the whole squad.
The 21-year-old has been one of the breakout stars of the current European football season and has delivered some unbelievable performances for Manchester City.
However, he’s inexperienced on the grandest stage and has featured just three times for England to date.
O’Reilly has played the lion’s share of the 2025-26 campaign as a left-back under Pep Guardiola, but he is originally an attacking midfielder. Now, we’re not saying the youngster doesn’t deserve a place in the squad.
He certainly does, but it still doesn’t exclude Hall’s exclusion. The former Chelsea man is one of the best crossers of the ball and he has also improved tremendously on the defensive front, making him an intriguing option.
With Shaw and Hall both out of the squad, an injury or suspension to O’Reilly would mean that either Dan Burn or Djed Spence would have to deputise at left-back.
Both players have done that role before, so it isn’t alien to them. However, every other position in the squad has two specialist players competing for one starting spot, so it is surely a bold decision from Tuchel, to say the least.
A handful of his selection calls have divided opinion on social media, but Hall’s snub, in particular, could really hurt England’s chances of World Cup glory.
Tuchel explains Lewis Hall snub
Speaking after England’s squad was confirmed earlier today, Tuchel explained why Spence was chosen over Hall, with the Tottenham defender delivering a string of fantastic displays, especially in 2026.
“He was excellent in every match he played for us. He suffers from a third change of coach at his club, since then he doesn’t get a lot of minutes. He suffers from the situation, is part of the situation at Tottenham.
“He loves defending, he’s the fastest player in our squad, and he loves defending one-on-ones. That’s what makes him a special full-back for us. He can play both sides.
“Before the March camp we said ‘you don’t get the minutes [with Spurs]’ if you come here you have to prove yourself again. And Djed and Tino were excellent against Uruguay. That was the decision I could really trust him.”
England’s loss is Newcastle United’s gain
First things first. Hall will be absolutely gutted when he sees the rest of his Newcastle United teammates like Anthony Gordon, Burn and Tino Livramento, represent England while he watches on from home.
It’s not what he deserved and it’s a big blow to take, but he couldn’t have done much more to endear himself to the manager.
On the bright side, the silver lining is that he will be well rested after a gruelling season across all competitions.
The 21-year-old will also be available for the entirety of pre-season, so he can work towards getting ready for the 2026-27 campaign with the Magpies.
Hall has been linked with a move to Bayern Munich and Manchester United in recent weeks. However, he is central to Howe’s plan for the present and the future, so Newcastle United won’t entertain any talk of a summer departure.
