England legend Wayne Rooney is still scratching his head at how one of Michael Carrick’s key first-team Manchester United players is not heading to the World Cup.
Michael Carrick wrapped up the 2025-26 campaign by earning the permanent Manchester United manager role ahead of the 3-0 win over Brighton last month.
The 44-year-old United legend led the Red Devils to a third-place Premier League finish and secured Champions League football for his side for next season.
Carrick will now see different United first-team players head off to the World Cup this summer, including Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot and Matheus Cunha.
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Wayne Rooney’s verdict on Man Utd star Harry Maguire missing out on England’s World Cup campaign
Harry Maguire was a standout omission from Thomas Tuchel’s 26-man England squad for the 2026 World Cup after the Manchester United star was snubbed.
The 33-year-old former Man Utd captain had climbed back into the England national team during the March break after his superb run of form under Michael Carrick.
Despite featuring under England boss Thomas Tuchel during the March friendlies, Maguire was left out of the Three Lions’ World Cup squad for this summer.
Speaking on his podcast, Wayne Rooney admitted that he was convinced that Maguire would be one of England’s 26 World Cup players for the tournament.
“He’s [Tuchel] obviously thought about what squad he’s going to pick and why,” he said on The Wayne Rooney Show, as per BBC Sport.
“There will be reasons why he hasn’t taken Cole Palmer or Phil Foden or Maguire and why he’s taken others – but I trust him.
“He’s a top manager; he knows what’s at stake and he’s picked a squad that he thinks can compete to win the World Cup.
“I would have made a couple of different decisions than he has, but that’s why he’s England manager. He is there to make these decisions. We just have to back him.”
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Harry Maguire expressed his disappointment over his England snub after previously being a key player for former Three Lions boss Sir Gareth Southgate.
Rooney is now looking ahead to the tournament and feels that Tuchel can lead the Three Lions to their first major silverware since the 1966 World Cup triumph.
“England can win – there’s no doubting that,” he added.
“You need a bit of luck along the way, but I think you’ve got a top manager, a really good squad and you need everything to be right.
“If that’s the case, we can certainly win it.”
Luke Shaw missed out on the England squad for the World Cup, while Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo both made the final cut under Tuchel.
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