Thomas Tuchel must submit his provisional 55-man World Cup squad to FIFA today — and it would not come as a major shock if Ivan Toney emerged as the surprise inclusion for this summer’s tournament in the United States.
Toney, now 30, has not played for England since June 2025 and has largely slipped off the radar following his move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli.
However, Tuchel faces a difficult decision when it comes to selecting his attacking options, with the expectation that England will travel with three recognised strikers. Harry Kane remains the undisputed first-choice forward, but neither Dominic Calvert-Lewin nor Dominic Solanke fully convinced during England’s March fixtures.
That could pave the way for Ollie Watkins, who has been in excellent form for Aston Villa since missing the friendlies against Japan and Uruguay.
Solanke is also expected to miss out through injury, while Danny Welbeck could still feature in the wider 55-man group because of his versatility and experience. Yet Toney — once seemingly out of the picture — may now have a realistic chance of returning. Having been part of England’s squad at the last European Championship and famously scoring in a penalty shoot-out, he offers a different profile alongside Kane, with Watkins currently appearing the strongest contender for the backup role.
There is little doubt Toney slipped down the pecking order after his move abroad. Although selected last summer, his most recent England appearance came as a late substitute in the 3-1 friendly defeat to Senegal at the City Ground.
Since then, he has barely featured in the international conversation. Still, his record of 40 goals in 46 matches in Saudi Arabia has quietly strengthened his case, even if the standard of competition remains open to debate.
The balance of a World Cup squad always sparks debate, particularly around how many specialist strikers to include. In the days of 23-man squads, two centre-forwards were often considered enough, with wide players expected to provide cover. But Tuchel’s familiarity with Toney, combined with his form, tournament experience and reliability from the penalty spot, could yet work in his favour.
The Football Association must submit the provisional 55-man list to FIFA by 11:59pm CET on Monday. While these long lists are standard procedure and are rarely made public, players and clubs are usually aware of their status well in advance.
England are expected to announce their final squad next week, before officially submitting it to FIFA by June 1. The confirmed World Cup squads will then be published on June 2.
