Peter Crouch supports Thomas Tuchel’s surprising World Cup pick, even though some fans are not happy.
Peter Crouch is on board with Thomas Tuchel’s bold choice to include a ‘wildcard’ player in England’s World Cup squad.
In just under two weeks, the 2026 World Cup kicks off, with a record 48 teams battling for football’s biggest prize.
This will be England’s first major tournament with Tuchel at the helm, after he took over from Gareth Southgate following England’s loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.
Before England’s upcoming friendlies against New Zealand and Costa Rica, Tuchel announced his 26-man squad heading to North America for the World Cup.
Some big names didn’t make the cut, as Tuchel focused on players who are “100% committed,” leaving behind stars like Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Harry Maguire.
At the same time, some fans were surprised by who did make the squad, with former Brentford striker Ivan Toney being one of the biggest surprises.
Toney, now playing in Saudi Arabia for Al Ahli, has only played two minutes under Tuchel so far.
Still, Peter Crouch, former England striker and Paddy Power ambassador, supports Tuchel’s pick and thinks a wild card like Toney could turn out to be a great chance for both the player and the team.
“I don’t mind it. Alternative players? I think it’s an interesting squad. I don’t think he’s worried about any outside noise for the squad he wants to pick, and I like that,” Crouch said in a chat with SPORTbible.
“I think that’s the good thing about foreign managers – they go with their own judgment and aren’t swayed by anything else.”
He added, “Toney’s the interesting one because he’s barely been picked until now. Where’d that come from? It came from nowhere. But I told some mates recently, ‘Take Toney.’ He’s scored 32 goals in the Saudi league. It’s not the top league, let’s be honest, but he’s still scoring and full of confidence.
“As long as his fitness is good, he’s great at penalties, and he’s proven in big tournaments that he can handle pressure. He’s scored important goals and penalties for us already.
“It’s a bit of a wild card, but sometimes those work out. It’s a huge chance for him and the manager to show how good they are.”
Toney’s spot came instead of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Danny Welbeck, who have both done well this season with Leeds United and Brighton.
But since Harry Kane is pretty much the go-to striker, Crouch isn’t worried about England’s forwards and trusts that Tuchel knows what he’s doing with the European Golden Shoe winner.
“Let’s be honest, the level of centre-forwards in England? Harry Kane’s way ahead of everyone else, isn’t he?” Crouch said.
“Watkins has had ups and downs, but finished strong. And Toney, I think, is the best of the rest. If he were still in the Premier League, he’d be a definite pick.
“Calvert-Lewin and Welbeck have been great over the years, but I don’t rate them any higher than Toney, apart from the fact he’s kind of out of sight and out of mind.
“I’ve played with him and against him, and I think he’s a top-level player.”
England is in Group L and will start their World Cup journey against Croatia on June 17 at the AT&T Stadium, then face Ghana on June 23, and Panama on June 27.
The draw means England won’t meet favorites Spain or current champions Argentina until the semifinals, or France in the final, if all those teams win their groups.
Instead, England’s path will likely include Senegal in the round of 32, Mexico in the round of 16, and Brazil in the quarter-finals.
Fans seem pretty hopeful under Tuchel’s leadership, dreaming of finally bringing England a major trophy after 80 years.
But Crouch is a bit more cautious. Despite the strong squad, he thinks at least four teams could knock England out.
“I think we’ll do well. I don’t think we’ll win it, but it’s possible. We have a good enough team to reach the final, but Spain look strong, France too, and one of the South American sides like Brazil or Argentina will be tough,” he said.
Peter Crouch also stars in a new Paddy Power World Cup ad, joking about US football fan culture alongside England’s favorite Danny Dyer and Hollywood star Rob Lowe. Check out the full ad here!