Five members of footballer Harry Maguire's family have publicly criticized England manager Thomas Tuchel for omitting the Manchester United defender from his World Cup squad. Maguire, who has earned 67 caps for the national team, was a key player under former manager Gareth Southgate, featuring in the squads that reached the Euro 2020 final and the 2018 World Cup semi-finals. He also played in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar but was ruled out of Euro 2024 due to injury.
The 33-year-old was not selected for the 26-man squad for the upcoming tournament in North America, scheduled for June and July. Maguire expressed his disappointment on social media before Friday's official announcement.
Family Reactions
Maguire's mother, Zoe, was the first to criticize Tuchel. Responding to her son's post on Thursday night, she wrote: "You couldn't have done any more. Hold your head high … Disgraceful." She added in a separate post: "Absolute disgusted."
The defender's brothers, Joe and Laurence, also weighed in on Friday. Joe called the decision "the worst decision I've ever seen," while Laurence described it as a "shambles."
Maguire's wife, Fern, expressed her disappointment on Instagram, writing: "Beyond devastated for you. There was nothing else you could have possibly done to prove your worth. I don't need to tell you how admired you are, just a shame you were up against a single opinion. Forever behind you my love."
His younger sister, Daisy, wrote on Instagram: "Crazy decision. Keep your head up."
Maguire's Response
On Thursday night, Maguire posted on social media that he was "confident I could of played a major part this summer for my country after the season I've had." He added: "I've been left shocked and gutted by the decision. I've loved nothing more than putting that shirt on and representing my country over the years. I wish the players all the best this summer."
In March, Maguire received a 15-month suspended sentence from a Greek court following an altercation on the island of Mykonos in 2020. A retrial found him guilty of non-serious assault, resisting arrest, and attempted bribery. His defense team plans to take the case to Greece's supreme court. Maguire's lawyer maintained that his client bore no responsibility for the brawl and believed he was being abducted when police intervened aggressively.
