Chelsea legend John Terry has sent a direct message to England manager Thomas Tuchel, insisting that a key Manchester United star must be part of the Three Lions' squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
John Terry has called on England manager Thomas Tuchel to include Harry Maguire in his 2026 World Cup squad, following the defender's masterclass in Manchester United’s 2-0 derby win over Manchester City
Maguire, making his first Premier League start since November, was a towering presence at Old Trafford.
He nearly opened the scoring in the third minute when his header rattled the crossbar, but it was his defensive resilience against Erling Haaland that drew the highest praise from Terry.
John Terry hails Maguire after performance against Man City
In a video shared on social media (via UtdHeisenberg on X), Terry expressed his awe at the transformation of the team under interim boss Michael Carrick.
“Wow, what a performance by Man U. This is the Man United of old. Attacking free-flowing football, pace up front. Also, the team is better now that Harry Maguire is back in the squad and playing today.”
Terry, widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders in Premier League history, highlighted the difficulty of containing City's Norwegian talisman.
“I don’t think there’s a tougher game in the Manchester derby than playing against the best striker in the world, Haaland. [Harry] does a great job scoring goals and is also very good at keeping control of the ball. Saw him about 10 minutes ago, he drove out with the ball, and he looked really confident with it.”
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup looming this summer, Terry was unequivocal about Maguire's value to the national team.
Despite a tumultuous couple of years, the £80 million defender's return to form has sparked a debate over his international future.
“Harry Maguire should be on the plane to the World Cup because of the way he’s performing at the moment. You heard it here first,” Terry added.
AFCON 2025