PSG pair Gonçalo Ramos and Nuno Mendes were baffled by Myles Lewis-Skelly's omission from England's World Cup squad. Lewis-Skelly was 19 when the decision was discussed, and the reaction came on Pedro Teixeira Da Mota’s YouTube channel after the teenager had started the final few games of the season, including the Champions League final against Paris Saint Germain.

Why Ramos and Mendes were surprised

Ramos was blunt about it. "No? Look, he's not there either. No... strange. I thought he got the call-up," Gonçalo Ramos said.

Mendes made the case around role value rather than reputation. "He plays left back and plays middle. It's like good to have this versatility," Nuno Mendes said. That is the cleanest explanation for why Lewis-Skelly looked like a useful squad option, even if Thomas Tuchel went in another direction.

The late-season numbers back up the feeling that Lewis-Skelly finished strongly for Arsenal. He posted a 6.9 rating in two of his last five league matches, and started four of those five in midfield. That is where the debate splits a little, because some sources frame him as a left-back, while others stress the midfield role or both. In practice, that versatility is exactly what Mendes pointed to.

Why the omission feels harder to explain

Mikel Arteta said Lewis-Skelly had been "very persistent and consistent" and that he "deserved it and that's why he played." He also said the teenager was "knocking on the door constantly to earn the right to play." The final picture matters too. Lewis-Skelly finished the season in an Arsenal side that won the Premier League title, and Arsenal topped the league with 85 points.

None of that proves England had to take him. Tuchel has his own squad logic, and the World Cup squad debate is always wider than one teenager's form. But the surprise from Ramos and Mendes is easy to understand, because Lewis-Skelly ended the season with real momentum and a profile that offered two different jobs in one player.

If the omission keeps drawing attention, it is because the selection call sits against a strong finish, a title-winning club season and a clear versatility case. England may not have picked him, but the reaction around him shows why the decision has not disappeared quietly.

Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →