Maguire ends 18-month England exile
Maguire last featured for England in September 2024 under caretaker manager Lee Carsley, and has not been called up by Tuchel in any of his previous squads since taking the job at the start of 2025. The German head coach has previously given his reasons for snubbing the 33-year-old, pointing to his lack of form and the difficulty of his position within Ruben Amorim's back-three system, noting that he saw Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa as being ahead of the United defender at the time.
That picture has changed in 2026. Since Carrick replaced Amorim in January, Maguire has started every league fixture, been a constant presence at the heart of United's defence, and been publicly backed by his manager on multiple occasions. With 64 caps and 12 World Cup appearances to his name, his leadership heading into the major tournament this summer is a quality Tuchel may not be able to overlook. Carrick, speaking ahead of United's trip to Bournemouth, made no secret of his hope that Maguire and his United team-mates would be rewarded. "I haven't been in touch [with Tuchel]. For the boys, I'd love to see them picked for this one and for the summer. I don't have any influence on that, but the way they're playing, they have put themselves in the picture and given themselves a chance. They are playing well enough to warrant a place."
Mainoo and Hall rewarded
Maguire is not the only beneficiary of United's remarkable turnaround in 2026. Kobbie Mainoo has also been handed a recall, with the 20-year-old midfielder having rediscovered his best form since Carrick's arrival. Mainoo started the Euro 2024 final against Spain, but like Maguire, has been absent from the England setup for 18 months following a difficult period under Amorim in which he barely featured at club level. Under his new boss, he has become one of the first names on the team sheet, and his performances have drawn consistent praise from both his head coach and team-mates. Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall is also in, having impressed during a productive second half of the season following a period on the sidelines through injury. Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton will join them, as fans get a first glimpse of what Tuchel is trying to put together ahead of the World Cup.
United's England drought finally over
No United player has appeared in an England squad since September 2024, a 18-month absence that reflected the chaos and poor form that defined the final months of the Amorim era at Old Trafford. United finished 15th in the Premier League last season under the Portuguese coach, losing the Europa League final to Tottenham, and the early months of this season brought little improvement before his dismissal. The contrast now could not be more different, and both Maguire and Mainoo are at the heart of the resurgence. United sit third in the Premier League with eight games remaining, and are in control of their own Champions League destiny.
The ultimate World Cup audition
England face Uruguay on March 27 before taking on Japan on March 31, and these are the final friendlies before Tuchel names his 25-man World Cup party. England were drawn into Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama, with two further warm-up games against New Zealand and Costa Rica scheduled in Florida in June before the tournament begins. Tuchel's side won all eight of their qualifying games including victories over Serbia and Albania last November. Tuchel, whose contract was set to expire after the World Cup, signed a new deal in February that will now run through to Euro 2028, giving him the stability to plan well beyond this summer. With his future tied down, it is now over to the players to prove to him that they are worthy of a place on the plane to join captain Harry Kane in a bid to finally bring the World Cup back to England.