If England needs to make a last-minute change, Rio Ngumoha won’t be able to play at the World Cup.
Rio Ngumoha won’t be playing in this summer’s World Cup, even if Thomas Tuchel needs to call in a replacement for England’s team. The 17-year-old really stood out in England’s 1-0 win over New Zealand last Saturday, coming off the bench at half-time and earning the man of the match award.
By doing this, Ngumoha became the fifth-youngest player ever to represent England—only behind Theo Walcott, Wayne Rooney, Jude Bellingham, and James Prinsep from the 19th century. He’s one of four young players Tuchel brought to Florida with the 26-man World Cup squad. Alongside Ngumoha are Alex Scott, Josh King, and Ethan Nwaneri, who were mainly there to help out while Arsenal’s players arrived late after the Champions League final.
Ngumoha has had a great season with Liverpool, making 29 appearances and even getting nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year. But unfortunately, he won’t be part of the World Cup this summer. FIFA rules say teams can only make squad changes up to 24 hours before their first match, and only if the replacement was on the 55-man provisional list.
Since Ngumoha isn’t on that list, he can’t step in if any of the 26 players get injured or sick before England’s first game against Croatia on June 17. The only extra player eligible from England’s group is Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, who was on the provisional list.
Tuchel mentioned this when talking about the training group. He said he was happy to have these young players with the team, especially Alex Scott, who handled missing the first cut with great attitude, showing strong character.
After the tournament starts, the rules get stricter and only goalkeepers can be replaced if needed. Meanwhile, Ngumoha can still play in England’s last warm-up match against Costa Rica and looks set for a bright future if his rise continues.
With Ngumoha missing out, Liverpool won’t have any players in England’s squad for a big tournament for the first time since 1986.