Ivan Toney has seven minutes of international football under Thomas Tuchel. Seven. That is the sum total of his England career since Tuchel took charge, a number that would make most strikers quietly reconsider their international ambitions.
Toney has not done that. Instead, he rebuilt a fractured relationship with his manager, earned a spot in England’s 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and is now waiting patiently in the United States for the moment his number gets called.
How Toney got here
The backstory is not pretty. During a June 2025 England camp, Tuchel was unhappy with Toney’s attitude, which prompted the kind of conversation most players dread having with their manager. Tuchel initiated what have been described as clear-the-air talks, a diplomatic phrase for what was essentially a frank discussion about whether Toney actually wanted to be there.
Toney, to his credit, showed up for it. The conversation happened, the air cleared, and when Tuchel announced England’s 26-man squad around May 22, 2026, Toney’s name was on it.
