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JACK GAUGHAN: Seventy-seven days until a clash with Croatia in Dallas and the battle for a small number of spots within Thomas Tuchel's England squad has yet to reach a definitive conclusion. The draw against Uruguay and defeat by Japan should focus minds ahead of the season run-in‚ when a few still remain on trial before Tuchel announces his 26 heading off to the World Cup. Tuchel experimented with different players and gave new caps across the two friendlies and opinions on who should make the squad will vary wildly up and down the country. Here‚ Daily Mail Sport looks at the runners and riders‚ who is certain of their spot among our picks and which talents are nervously looking over their shoulders.
OLIVER HOLT AT WEMBLEY: So this was farewell. This was the send-off. This was the last time a crowd will see England play until they touch down in Florida at the beginning of June and start the final stages of the build-up to their opening game of the World Cup against Croatia in Dallas on June 17. It was not a fond farewell. England did not take their leave of Wembley wreathed in laurels and serenaded with hosannas‚ put it that way. Ben White was booed again and Harry Kane was badly missed. So was Jude Bellingham. Maybe some people will start to wake up to just how important he is to this team one day. England attempted a lap of honour at the end but gave up half-way round. The crowd was quiet during the game‚ the players looked lethargic and‚ actually‚ rather apprehensive. The passing was disjointed. Some of the defending was naïve. And‚ as for players staking a final claim to a place on the plane to the USA‚ Canada and Mexico? None of the fringe candidates stepped forward.
The time for playing power games is over now. The time for posturing and manoeuvring is gone. We are the business end of the build-up to the World Cup and it feels absurd that there should be any doubt over whether Bellingham‚ if fully fit‚ should start England's opening game against Croatia in Dallas on June 17.
Tudor was only appointed on Valentine's Day following the dismissal of Thomas Frank ‚ but has failed to address Tottenham's alarming form. The Croatian presided over four consecutive defeats at the start of his brief tenure‚ with Tottenham still yet to win a league match in 2026. And despite giving himself a glimmer of hope after his side rescued a 1-1 draw at Anfield on Sunday night‚ Tudor was axed by Tottenham on Monday with the club one point above the drop zone.
England's friendly with Uruguay was marred by some farcical refereeing on Friday night‚ not least one incident in the second-half at Wembley that recalled Graham Poll's infamous mistake at the 2006 World Cup. Englishman Poll famously issued three yellow cards to Croatia's Josip Simunic in the Croatia vs Australia match in Germany. Poll booked Simunic in the 61st and 90th minutes but failed to send him off‚ only issuing the red card after a third yellow in stoppage time. This time it was Uruguay's Manuel Ugarte who got lucky‚ with the Manchester United midfielder already booked for an early challenge when he was shown another for dissent at German referee Sven Jablonski‚ in the final 10 minutes of the match.
OLIVER HOLT AT WEMBLEY STADIUM: There are‚ apparently‚ 82 days until England begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia in Dallas on June 17. After this dirge of a football match‚ it was tempting to view them not as opportunity to hone a challenge but as a stay of execution. This was a dour night at Wembley‚ typified by the fact that England's goal‚ nine minutes from time‚ was met with a crescendo of boos when it became clear the ball had been prodded over the line by Ben White‚ recalled to the squad after walking out on England at the 2022 World Cup. England as World Cup favourites? Really? This may have been a second team but it was still a performance that did very little to suggest England have any momentum as they head towards the tournament. It is to be hoped Tuesday's match against Japan offers more shoots of hope.
IAN LADYMAN: With less than three months to go before England 's World Cup starts against Croatia in Dallas‚ coach Thomas Tuchel has picked a mammoth 35-man squad ahead of two friendlies‚ against Uruguay on Friday and Japan next Tuesday. With fringe players set to be given a game at Wembley this week before senior stars are called in to camp ahead of the second fixture‚ on Saturday‚ Tuchel is trying to cover all bases before selecting his final 26-man squad for World Cup 2026 in May.
Spurs suffered a humiliating 3-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest to increase their relegation fears - and the Croatian has now picked up just one point in five Premier League games.
IAN LADYMAN: They came to bury Igor Tudor. Metaphorically speaking‚ they had already dug the hole. But somehow‚ against enormous odds‚ the giant Croatian left the field at Anfield to a standing ovation from the supporters in the away end. There is some life left in Tudor's spell as Tottenham interim manager yet‚ life in his team's season perhaps. As for Liverpool manager Arne Slot‚ well who really knows? His team of champions - how odd it feels to say that now - are soft and meek and shockingly easy to play against. The door to the Champions League places swings wide open for Liverpool but somehow Slot's failing team sit outside the weakest top four in recent Premier League history. There are no excuses. Ahead after 18 minutes through a Dominic Szoboszlai free-kick that Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario really should have saved‚ Liverpool had the opportunity to sweep aside a team so weakened by injury and suspension that they couldn't even fill their substitutes' bench. Spurs came to Merseyside as the laughing stock of the Premier League‚ a team that knew only to lose.
Carlo Ancelotti has been in charge of Brazil for less than a year‚ but the Italian is immersing himself into their culture in more ways than one. The 66-year-old‚ who is Brazil's first ever foreign coach‚ will be tasked with trying to lead the Selecao to a record-extending sixth World Cup this summer in Canada‚ Mexico and the United States. Brazil continue their preparations for that tournament next month when they face France in a mouth-watering friendly on March 26 before taking on Croatia on April 1.
Former England manager Steve McClaren suffered more major-tournament qualifying embarrassment overnight as his Jamaica team lost out to Curacao for a place at the World Cup - the smallest nation ever to reach the finals. McClaren‚ 64‚ was derided as 'the Wally with the brolly' when he failed to lead England to Euro 2008 in the Wembley rain at the hands of Croatia. And now he has quit his job in the Caribbean after Jamaica failed to qualify with a 0-0 draw against minnows Curacao.
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Cristiano Ronaldo's son‚ 14‚ scores his FIRST goal for Portugal and performs his father's iconic celebration before netting a brace with the U15s in Croatia
Ex-Croatia international‚ 39‚ dies in horror car crash involving four vehicles - as two of his team-mates are left in a critical condition
Hilarious footage emerges of baffled Kylian Mbappe removing a remote controlled car from the pitch after it broke down before France's Nations League clash with Croatia
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