England World Cup Squad News: Dominant Conference League Final Showing Shows Why Adam Wharton Should Have Made World Cup Selection
Ben McAleer
Adam Wharton was the undoubted star of the UEFA Conference League final. As Crystal Palace secured their first ever piece of European silverware, it was the Eagles midfielder who shone in Leipzig.
Jean-Philippe Mateta may have scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano. Yet Wharton was at the heart of everything. UEFA named him the official Player of the Match. Glenn Hoddle waxed lyrical on the England international at full-time.
“He can hit killer balls which take a defence out with one pass and I'm not sure we've got that many in the deep-lying position who can do that at a consistent level,” the former Tottenham icon told TNT Sports following the narrow victory.
The next line, though, was telling. “So my eyebrows lifted when I saw he wasn't part of the squad.”
No space for Wharton
Despite another impressive season at club level, Wharton was overlooked by head coach Thomas Tuchel for England’s 2026 World Cup squad. The German opted for Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Kobbie Mainoo and Jordan Henderson as his four central midfield options for the summer showpiece.
Rice and Anderson are understandable. They are the starting pair. Mainoo deserved his recall earlier in the season having played a central role in Manchester United’s Champions League finish. Henderson’s experience at this level cannot be overstated.
Yet none of the quartet can play the forward passes, the killer balls, in the same manner as Wharton. In all likelihood, it was a straight shoot out between Wharton and Mainoo for that fourth central midfield spot, and it was the United man who got the nod this time around.
England dominance may have influenced Tuchel's decision
Tuchel’s thinking will have been that United’s style of play is more comparable to England. The Three Lions dominate opponents. England had a higher possession average (74.3%) than any other nation in World Cup qualifying. They overwhelmed teams with ease.
United, meanwhile, managed a possession haul of 51.6%. It wasn’t quite as high as England’s, but an increase on Palace’s (45.5%). The Eagles under Oliver Glasner were very reactive as they soaked up pressure before attempting to hit opponents on the break. Admittedly, they were the only side that failed to score a single counter-attacking goal in the Premier League last season, though it wasn’t for want of trying.
37 shots following a counter attack was the seventh most in England’s top tier this term. And Wharton in particular was vital. Only Bruno Fernandes (15) managed more accurate through balls than the Palace (14) in the 2025-26 Premier League campaign. Only Yeremy Pino (48) created more chances than the (44) of all Palace players.
In addition, 7.1 final third passes completed was also a solid haul. Admittedly, it was lower than Mainoo’s return, yet conversely; Wharton was operating in a side with a lower possession average. The desire to win the ball back and get it forward as quickly as possible was hugely beneficial to the south London side.
Will Tuchel regret overlooking Wharton?
And in terms of ball recoveries and tackles won per 90, Wharton outperformed Mainoo. Either way, Tuchel could come to regret not bringing the Palace man stateside. He’s evidently an effective ball winner, and one who is able to pick a pass from range. With the calibre of nippy wide players on the England books, a midfielder to spot a teammate from distance would have been an impactful weapon for the German.
That’s not to say Mainoo is a downgrade by any stretch. The United man is clearly capable of wreaking havoc in the final third. And as a driving force from deep, he offers an alternative for Tuchel to utilise in the middle of the park.
Hoddle, though, has a point. Overlooking Wharton raised eyebrows, all the more so after his stand out showing against Rayo Vallecano. Time will tell if Tuchel made the right decision or not.
