Harry Maguire is having to watch the World Cup as a supporter, as Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford were the only two Manchester United players selected in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.
England started their 2026 World Cup campaign with a convincing 4-2 win over Croatia.
While Marcus Rashford scored for England after coming off the bench, Kobbie Mainoo was an unused substitute.
Both players will be hoping to earn more significant roles in Tuchel’s team throughout the tournament.
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Harry Maguire backs Kobbie Mainoo to shine if he gets World Cup chance
Maguire felt aggrieved when Tuchel left him out of the England squad for the World Cup, after bringing the centre-back back into the team for the March internationals.
Instead of competing at the biggest international tournament on the globe, Maguire has been doing punditry work for The Rest Is Football on Netflix with Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards.
That means Maguire has been busy watching the matches and sharing his opinions on some of the key moments in the tournament so far.
In a new TikTok video for The Rest Is Football, Maguire is asked which youngsters to watch at the World Cup.
The experienced centre-back named his United teammate Mainoo.
“I think Kobbie will shine if he gets a chance on the pitch, I think Nico will shine as well, he’s had an excellent season at Man City,” Maguire said.
Mainoo didn’t feature against Croatia, but he could play in England’s remaining two group stage matches against Ghana or Panama.
- ⚡️ NEWS IN BRIEF
- Harry Maguire believes Kobbie Mainoo will shine if he gets a chance with England at the 2026 World Cup
- Mainoo was an unused substitute in England’s 4-2 win over Croatia
- Maguire also named Nico O’Reilly as a youngster to watch at the World Cup
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Kobbie Mainoo is a World Cup debutant
This is Mainoo’s first-ever World Cup.
That means an appearance would be a milestone moment for the United academy graduate.
United fans will be eager to see how Mainoo performs in the same team as Elliot Anderson, although the pair did play together in a friendly match against Japan ahead of the tournament.
Anderson is also more likely to sign for City.
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