Several high-profile England players have agonisingly missed out on the World Cup over the years18:00, 21 May 2026All eyes will be on those called up to Thomas Tuchel's England squad this week, with the announcement for those boarding the plane set for Friday. The England head coach's 26-man squad will no doubt spark a host of opinions, anger and befuddlement.‌Some high-profile stars could be disappointed come Friday if rumours of their axing are to be true. Those who do miss out on the 2026 World Cup will, however, find themselves in some very esteemed company.‌Over the years, several England bosses have left out some huge names to fans' dismay. Here, Mirror Football takes a closer look at seven major omissions ahead of past World Cups.‌JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook pageTony Adams – 1990Arsenal legend Adams felt the brunt of an England snub in 1990 when Bobby Robson favoured Mark Wright of Derby County for the Italian-based tournament, despite the latter battling injury. It didn't seem to make a major impact, with England famously reaching the semi-finals.At just 21, Adams also easily recovered from the setback and went on to become England captain. He also became the only player to represent the Three Lions in major tournaments across three decades.‌READ MORE: Thomas Tuchel's private Ollie Watkins view as England boss set to name THREE strikersREAD MORE: Who will be in Thomas Tuchel's 26-man England World Cup squad?Paul Gascoigne – 1998One of the biggest omissions in English football history came as Glenn Hoddle left England hero Gazza at home for the French-based competition in '98. The maverick midfielder, who had majorly impressed the nation at Italia 90, was then at Middlesbrough.England boss Hoddle had little choice but to leave Gascoigne, who was grappling with addiction issues, behind. "I thought about trying to talk to him but knew I couldn’t...," Hoddle said in his book My 1998 World Cup Story. "Physically, he wasn’t 100%, mentally he was all over the place."‌Matt Le Tissier - 1998Hoddle courted further controversy by leaving behind Southampton's goal-scoring wizard at home for World Cup '98. The forward had scored a combined 55 goals for the Saints in the two previous seasons.Somehow, that wasn't enough as Hoddle decided to overload his squad with midfielders instead. At the time, Hoddle said: "Matthew can only really play in one position. He was very close to the squad but at the end of the day he has not done enough to force his way in."Le Tissier later told the Daily Mail that he felt spurning the chance to speak to Hoddle in 1995, when he attempted to sign him for Chelsea, contributed to his omission. England were knocked out by Argentina on penalties in an iconic last-16 clash in Marseille.‌Steve McManaman- 2002Sven-Goran Eriksson's World Cup squad for Japan and South Korea in 2022 generated enough rage to power the national grid. As the late Swedish coach worried over fitness concerns to David Beckham, Kieron Dyer, Steven Gerrard and Danny Murphy, Real Madrid's McManaman felt like a natural replacement - if not a particularly glamorous one - with the winger hardly a permanent fixture for the Three Lions.While not a truly shocking omission, the ex-Liverpool star had won two Champions League winners' medals with Los Blancos, scoring 10 goals as a squad player. Madrid icon Zinedine Zidane even instructed Sven to call up the vastly experienced Liverpudlian with England suffering from an injury crisis in their midfield.‌Alas, the Swedish coach decided against it, leaving McManaman on the tarmac. England were knocked out of the tournament at the quarter-final stage by eventual winners Brazil.Jermain Defoe - 2006Sven was something of a maverick when it came to his major tournaments. His 23-man squad for the 2006 World Cup in Germany featured four players who had never even started a game for England in Aaron Lennon, Stewart Downing, Rob Green and Theo Walcott.‌While Defoe had hardly pulled up trees for Spurs that season, scoring just nine goals, leaving behind a striker of his experience on the international stage, plus with his talent in front of goal, felt like a major misfire. England were ultimately knocked out of the competition by Portugal in the quarter-finals."I don't know why I'm not out there," Defoe said at the time. "I've been involved in every squad for the last two years and feel I've played a part in helping us to qualify... It's a strange decision."‌Theo Walcott - 2010Walcott was the surprise omission from Fabio Capello's 23-man England squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Then 21, he had started both of England's pre-tournament friendly victories against Mexico and Japan.The winger's inclusion in Sven's 2006 World Cup squad, despite having never started a Premier League game, caused shockwaves. This time, it was vastly different as the then-Arsenal star had grappled with injuries all season.He later claimed he was "disappointed" but "respected" Capello's decision. England failed to make an impact in South Africa and they were hammered by Germany 4-1 in the last-16 to send them home early.‌Ashley Cole - 2014Fabio Capello’s successor, Roy Hodgson, assembled the second-youngest World Cup squad of all time, with an average age of just 26. To the shock of many, veteran Chelsea and Arsenal star Ashley Cole was left back at home.Hodgson preferred Leighton Baines and a teenage Luke Shaw. The former Liverpool manager's grand plan did little to help England, with Hodgson's team going out in the group stage in Brazil. Cole didn't seem to take the news of his dropping too well, retiring from the international game soon after the snub.Article continues belowJoin our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.