Ivan Toney is back in the England conversation as Thomas Tuchel prepares to submit his 55-man long list today. The 30-year-old has not featured for England since June 2025, but his Saudi form has put him in the frame again. He has scored 40 goals in 46 games in Saudi, and the case for a recall is no longer a novelty.

Why Toney is back in the mix

The strongest argument for Toney is simple enough: he has kept scoring. That kind of output gives Tuchel a third-striker option behind Harry Kane, who has 33 goals in 30 appearances across all competitions in 2025. Toney also scored in a shoot-out at the Euros, which matters because tournament squads are not chosen on league scoring alone.

There is a World Cup selection problem here as much as a form question. The brief points to Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke as part of the picture, but Solanke’s 6.87 Premier League rating in 2025 and his 15 Premier League appearances in 2025 leave the order behind Kane open enough for a wildcard to exist.

What Tuchel has to decide today

England are set to take a 55-man long list, then confirm the squad next week before FIFA publish the final squads on June 2. That means Tuchel is not picking a final panel today, but he is starting to narrow the options. The key question is whether he wants three out-and-out strikers in the wider group, and whether Toney deserves to be one of them.

The source line is pretty direct, too. Mirror’s report said: “And no-one should be too surprised if Ivan Toney is the wildcard to be on the plane to the United States this summer.” That does not mean he is in already. It does mean the door is open.

The smart read is that Toney’s chance is real, not sentimental. He is 30, he has not played for England since June 2025, and his Saudi numbers are strong enough to force the discussion. If Tuchel does go with three strikers in the long list, Toney now looks like the name most likely to fill the final slot after Harry Kane and Ollie Watkins.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →