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Rooney Calls Alexander-Arnold’s England Omission “Mind-Boggling” Ahead of World Cup

Posted : 08 May 2026

Former England captain Wayne Rooney has questioned the decision to leave Trent Alexander-Arnold out of England’s recent squad selections, describing the omission as “mind-boggling.” Despite his criticism, Rooney admitted he would still prefer Reece James as England’s starting right-back at the upcoming World Cup.

Alexander-Arnold was unexpectedly excluded from England’s March squads for matches against Uruguay and Japan. The decision raised eyebrows because the defender has been playing regularly for in recent months. Meanwhile, James was unavailable during that period because of injury concerns.

Ben White returned to the England setup after a self-imposed absence and started both friendly matches, even scoring against Uruguay. His inclusion came in what was Thomas Tuchel’s final squad announcement before selecting his World Cup group.

Speaking on the BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show, Rooney praised White’s quality but insisted Alexander-Arnold should still have been included ahead of him. The former striker said he could not understand why the Real Madrid defender had fallen so far down the pecking order.

Alexander-Arnold has not played for England since appearing as a substitute in a World Cup qualifier against Andorra nearly a year ago. After a difficult start following his move from to Real Madrid last summer, the 27-year-old regained his place after recovering from a thigh injury in January.

England manager Thomas Tuchel previously suggested that Jarell Quansah was ahead of Alexander-Arnold in his plans, while Tino Livramento has also been used at full-back in recent matches.

Although Rooney admitted James has struggled with injuries and called him “unreliable,” he still believes the defender is the best fit for England’s defensive setup. Rooney explained that England’s full-backs should focus more on defensive solidity rather than attacking contributions because the team already has enough creative talent further forward.

Rooney added that he would build his defence around James alongside Harry Maguire, Marc Guéhi and Luke Shaw, believing balance at the back will be key to England’s World Cup ambitions.

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