MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Cole Palmer has been called up to the England squad after being controversially omitted from the World Cup.
Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold was also named in Thomas Tuchel squad after being overlooked in the summer.
“They had a good start to the season. they never did something wrong, we just chose different players," the England coach said Friday.
Palmer and Alexander-Arnold were among a host of high-profile absentees from Tuchel's World Cup squad, along with Phil Foden, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw. There was still no place Foden, Maguire and Shaw for the upcoming Nations League games.
Liverpool's 18-year-old forward Rio Ngumoha has also been included along with Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott.
Palmer’s recall comes after an outstanding start to the season for Chelsea with four goals in six games.
“He has his numbers back, he has his assists back, he has his decisive goals back so that’s why he’s back in the squad and I think he has a point to prove and same goes for Trent,” Tuchel said.
Alexander-Arnold has long-been considered one of English soccer's best talents, but was left out of the World Cup even after right back Tino Livramento was forced to withdraw with injury.
“He was not with us at the World Cup. We trusted other players. I still stick with this decision,” Tuchel said. “It is now time to fight for his place, he always said he was up for a fight. It’s on him to prove.”
Tuchel said he was forced into more changes than expected due to the unavailability of a number of his World Cup players, including John Stones Djed Spence and Jordan Henderson.
“The door is always open first and foremost through performance and then on the same level through behavior and commitment to the team spirit because we built something very special,” he said.
England plays world champion Spain, Croatia and two games against Czech Republic in the first international window of the season.
England came third at the World Cup, its best place since winning the tournament in 1966. But Tuchel was criticized for his handling of the semifinal defeat to Argentina when leading 1-0 up until the 85th minute before losing 2-1.
England squad:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Jason Steele (Brighton), James Trafford (Leeds)
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid), Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Trevoh Chalobah (Como), Marc Guehi (Manchester City), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Arsenal), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Manchester City), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Alex Scott (Bournemouth)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Morgan Rogers (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
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Chelsea's Cole Palmer reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Hull City in London, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain coach Luis de la Fuente announced his Nations League squad from Ceuta on Friday in a show of support for the Spanish city in northern Africa that has become the center of a migration crisis.
For his first squad announcement since Spain won the World Cup, De la Fuente revealed his list in a video featuring him in Ceuta accompanied by residents of the Spanish exclave. In late July, over 70,000 people pushed across the border from Morocco, with more than 100 dying in the chaos. Most quickly returned, but a few thousand remain in the city of just over 80,000.
The mass border rush has become the biggest political talking point in Spain since.
De la Fuente did not directly mention the border crossing or its impact, but he did say: “This is Ceuta, this is Spain.” It echoed the rise in sentiment in Spain that Ceuta — a territory that until the mass crossing was mostly an afterthought for most mainland Spaniards — needs to be supported.
Ceuta is one of two Spanish territories on the north African coast along with Melilla. Ceuta has been in Spanish possession since 1580. Christians and Muslims, Spanish and Moroccan residents and day workers all live there in relative harmony behind a border fence that many migrants from across Africa attempt to cross or swim around for a better life in Europe.
The far-right and conservative opposition parties are calling the migration surge an “invasion” and are hoping they can leverage it in national elections next year and oust the left-wing, pro-legal migration government.
It has also led many in Spain to question the government’s policy of moving closer to Rabat in recent years, all with the backdrop of the two countries preparing to host the 2030 World Cup along with Portugal.
Local authorities in Ceuta have visited Brussels to drum up European political support and demand more border security.
The debate had spilled into sports before De la Fuente’s video when earlier this week a business group asked Real Madrid and Elche to have their players wear T-shirts with a message of support for Ceuta that read “We are all from Ceuta” before their La Liga match.
Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Ibrahima Konaté covered up part of the message by rolling the shirts up to their chests. The decision by the three Madrid players earned them both scorn and support in the media and social media.
Mbappé said that by rolling up the shirt he wanted to show “full solidarity and with all the victims” while also supporting “migrants who have lost their lives and those facing harsh conditions.”
Spain opens the Nations League against England at Wembley Stadium on Sept. 26, when its players will wear two stars on their shirts for the first time after winning a second world title.
After visiting London, Spain will host Croatia on Sept. 29 and the Czech Republic on Oct. 3, before visiting Croatia on Oct. 6.
Del la Fuente kept his World Cup squad mostly intact.
Inter Milan goalkeeper Josep Martínez replaced Barcelona’s Joan García, who is out with a minor knee issue. Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen is in for Marcos Llorente, who retired from international soccer. Fermín López replaced fellow Barcelona midfielder Gavi, while Espanyol striker Roberto Fernández got his first call-up, replacing Borja Iglesias.
Spain squad:
Goalkeepers: Unai Simón (Athletic Bilbao), David Raya (Arsenal), Josep Martínez (Inter Milan)
Defenders: Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao), Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona), Eric Garcia (Barcelona), Marc Pubill (Atletico Madrid), Alejandro Grimaldo (Atletico Madrid), Marc Cucurella (Real Madrid), Dean Huijsen (Real Madrid), Pedro Porro (Tottenham).
Midfielders: Rodri Hernández (Barcelona), Pedri González (Barcelona), Fermín López (Barcelona), Martín Zubimendi (Arsenal), Mikel Merino (Arsenal), Fabián Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain), Álex Baena (Atletico Madrid).
Forwards: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Dani Olmo (Barcelona), Ferran Torres (Paris Saint-Germain), Yeremy Pino (Crystal Palace), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Víctor Muñoz (Liverpool), Roberto Fernández (Espanyol).
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FILE - Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente arrives at the stadium before the World Cup semifinal soccer match between France and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, file)
