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Why Rio Ngumoha Can’t be Called into England’s World Cup Squad

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During the first of their two pre-World Cup friendly matches, England faced New Zealand on Saturday. It was a match of little incident as Thomas Tuchel gave 22 players game time to help his squad acclimate to the US weather and pitch conditions.

In the end, a single goal from Harry Kane, who headed in a winner moments before half-time, was enough to settle things. As it was more of a training exercise than a real match, Tuchel seemed mostly happy that his players had come through the 90 minutes unscathed.

However, fans watching at home could not help but notice the lively cameo from Liverpool youngster Rio Ngumoha. He isn’t in the Three Lions squad for the World Cup, and will not feature even if injuries force Tuchel into making a change from his original 26-man team.

Rio Ngumoha Among Four Youngsters In England Supplementary Group

Rio Ngumoha liverpool

It’s not uncommon for a handful of players to travel to a World Cup despite not being in the actual playing squad. This is to help make up the numbers during training and is particularly useful for Tuchel right now as Arsenal contingent Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, and Eberechi Eze have arrived at the camp later than the rest of the team due to their participation in the Champions League final.

Goalkeeper Dean Henderson will also join them, delayed after winning the Conference League with Crystal Palace. With those men absent, Ngumoha is among a small group – along with Alex Scott, Josh King and Ethan Nwaneri – who have travelled as supplementary members of the England squad.

Against New Zealand, Ngumoha, aged 17 years and 281 days, became the fifth-youngest player to debut for the England men’s team. On what was a pretty drab affair, he was arguably the brightest player on the pitch during the second half. He was even named as the Man of the Match.

As such, some fans were pleading with Tuchel to call him into the senior squad as a late addition ahead of the World Cup. However, this is not a possibility, and so the Liverpool starlet will fly home with the other youngsters after the final warm-up match against Costa Rica on 10 June.


England's Ivan Toney, Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane, Kobbie Mainoo and Ezri Konsa during training ahead of the World Cup


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Fans online have reacted strongly.

Why Ngumoha Won’t Be in England’s World Cup Team

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Of course, it would be very harsh to suddenly drop a player in favour of Ngumoha. But many may hope for an injury to open up the door for a teenager. Even if this were the case, Tuchel would still have to look elsewhere for a replacement. This is because he was not called into the provisional 55-man squad submitted to FIFA by England. As per the Mirror, the strict FIFA eligibility rule explain:

“Under World Cup regulations, teams can call up a late injury replacement up to 24 hours before their opening match. However, the player must come from the provisional 55-man squad submitted to FIFA.”

As Ngumoha was not included on that initial 55-man list, he cannot be added to the tournament squad under any circumstances. The same goes for Fulham and Arsenal duo King and Nwaneri. In fact, there is only one player from the group of four youngsters who could make it in at this late stage: Bournemouth star Alex Scott. He was named in the preliminary 55-man party, making him eligible for a late promotion should injury occur.

England have until 24 hours before their opening match against Croatia to make any changes should injury or illness befall anyone in the 26-man squad. After the tournament begins, FIFA rules state that only goalkeepers can be replaced in the event of an emergency.


Ngumoha


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The English wonderkid doesn’t prepare for matchday with Salah and Van Dijk.

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Inter Milan Director Confirms Interest in Liverpool’s Curtis Jones

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A sporting director has just spoken out to confirm that he wants to sign a Liverpool star in the summer transfer window.

Liverpool are entering a new era after it was confirmed that Andoni Iraola has been appointed as their manager.

The hierarchy will likely look to back him in the transfer market, but the reality is that some players may have to leave the club after they spent significantly last summer.

Liverpool are already losing Ibrahima Konate, Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson this summer, with all three departing on free transfers.

As a result, the Merseyside club may need to fetch in transfer fees by selling some of their other stars in order to allow them to continue investing in the playing squad.


Andoni Iraola applauds Bournemouth supporters


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Liverpool are preparing to enter a new era under Andoni Iraola.

Sporting Director Confirms Interest in Liverpool Star

Andoni Iraola applauds Bournemouth supporters

Inter Milan’s sporting director Piero Ausilio has confirmed that the Italian club are interested in signing Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones in the summer transfer window.

Inter have been heavily linked with a move to sign Jones this summer, with suggestions of a swap deal even mentioned.

Jones has struggled to cement himself as a guaranteed starter for Liverpool, but it will be interesting to see whether he’s more suited to new manager Iraola.

Either way, it seems that a departure is possible in the coming weeks and months.

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Federico Chiesa Confirms Jones News

fede chiesa

Speaking earlier this week, another Liverpool player, Federico Chiesa, has confirmed that Jones has been asking him about life in Italy.

That certainly has added more fuel to the fire that Jones could be heading to Inter Milan, with Chiesa even mentioning the Italian club.

“Jones just asked me what life is like in Italy. I told him it’s great and the weather is better than Liverpool, which aside from that is a special place.

“Jones is really strong technically, Inter are right to think about him.”

It’s rare that players speak out about potential exits for their teammates, but Chiesa himself has been linked with a departure heading into the summer transfer window.

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Barcelona Fans Unimpressed by Anthony Gordon

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Arguably, the biggest deal of the 2026 transfer window so far was Anthony Gordon joining Barcelona from Newcastle United. The Spanish giants forked up £69m for the Englishman, so pressure will be high on him right from the off.

One fascinating aspect of the move is that Gordon may well end up replacing Marcus Rashford, who spent last season on loan at Barca. Not only that, but the two left-wingers will be vying for the same spot on the flank for England this summer at the World Cup.

Thomas Tuchel has a big decision to make on that front and opted to give each winger 45 minutes to impress against New Zealand in a friendly this weekend. Gordon’s highlights have since emerged, sparking a strong reaction online.

Gordon and Rashford Get 45 Minutes Each vs New Zealand

Anthony Gordon Barcelona

Truth be told, it was a pretty dull encounter between England and the All Whites. The Three Lions came away with a win thanks to Harry Kane’s header, netted right before the break. This was the only goal of the game, which finished 1-0.

Rashford was in the starting XI alongside Kane and managed five key passes in his 45-minute cameo. He also completed 18/22 passes, with 37 touches, pulling off one dribble, losing the ball 11 times, and taking two shots, with none on target.

As for Gordon, he completed 21/22 passes, but none were key. He had one fewer touch (36) and completed as many dribbles (one), losing the ball seven times, while also taking two shots, but getting one on target.

There wasn’t much to seperate the pair, with Rashford given a 7.2 SofaScore rating, while Gordon was a little lower on 7.0. Highlighting just how big the scrutiny is when you become a Barcelona player, however, fans online have been quick to comment on his display.


 v England manager Thomas Tuchel looks on vs New Zealand


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Not a good look ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Barcelona Fans Drop Clear Verdict on Gordon’s England Performance

Barcelona fans were clearly not impressed with the player. A two-minute compilation emerged on social media, as the former Newcastle man struggled to break down the New Zealand defence.

One concerned fan wrote: “We got scammed, wtf?!” Another said: “He was literally one of the worst finishers in the PL. It’s absolutely pathetic that we’ve spent €80m on someone this awful.”

Along that theme, someone else said: “Ewww man €75m for this???? This is like when City signed Grealish but 10x worse.”

Adding to the strong feeling, someone simply stated: “Rashford way better.” Another seemed worried by the highlights, adding: “I’m howling.”

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Even those with kinder takes weren’t exactly singing Gorfon’s praises. Somebody said: “Lamine being the only 1v1 specialist in the team irritates me. I’m not saying Gordon is bad, I’m just pointing out that without Lamine, no one can take on his man.”

Others were more defensive of the display, calling for more patience on the winger. One wrote: You guys should just relax and wait until he actually puts on the Barça shirt. That’s when the real evaluation starts.”

Another said: “This is why we don’t judge players on a friendly to warm up for the World Cup.”

Perhaps, damningly, one Barca fan even said: “He played better than I expected.”

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Arsenal Ready to Pay £100m for Newcastle Midfielder Sandro Tonali

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Arsenal are reportedly ready to pay £100m to secure a new signing ahead of the summer transfer window.

Mikel Arteta’s side already know they have a squad capable of winning the Premier League and reaching the Champions League final, so any new additions this summer are only going to take them to the next level.

The Gunners can take risks with reinforcements, as Arteta would still likely be happy going into next season with the squad he currently has.

The next goal for the North London club will be to lift the Champions League, while they’ll also hope to dominate English football for years to come.

To do so, they may need to bring in some big-money signings.


Mikel Arteta


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Arsenal Ready to Pay £100m

Mikel Arteta

According to a report from Italy, Arsenal are one of the sides showing an interest in signing Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Magpies are demanding in the region of £100 million to allow him to depart, a fee which Arsenal have no problem paying, especially as Mikel Arteta is believed to see him as the perfect signing.

Arsenal do face competition from other Premier League clubs for the signature of Tonali, so it could be a competitive race.

It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise if Tonali, described as ‘elite’, was keen on a move to the Emirates Stadium in the summer transfer window, especially after they lifted the Premier League title.

The Italian midfielder will also be without European football if he stays with Newcastle after their disappointing season.

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Arsenal Could Beat PL Clubs This Summer

Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta

Arsenal are likely to be battling with the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea when it comes to new additions in the summer transfer window.

Thankfully for the Gunners, after their impressive 2025/26 season, there’s a strong chance that they are the most attractive prospect at the moment.

Mikel Arteta has also shown that he gives opportunities to young talents, so they could have their pick of players over the coming weeks and months.

The signing of Tonali, described as one of the best central midfielders in Europe, would certainly be an impressive start to the window.

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