Tottenham Hotspur fans are finding out which of their players are going to be in action at the 2026 World Cup in North America this summer, and with how poorly Spurs are playing in their worst ever season in history with relegation from the Premier League still very much a possibility on Matchday 38, it is no surprise to see that many key players, like striker Richarlison, have not been picked by their national team managers.
Similarly for the English national team, most of the Tottenham players are nowhere near contention for the squad selected by Thomas Tuchel this summer, but one player did make it to the summit, fullback Djed Spence.
Even Tottenham fans who like Spence as a player have to be surprised that he will be headed to the World Cup as a fullback in Tuchel's squad when the starting right back for Real Madrid and one of the best technical players and creators in the world won't be making it for the Three Lions in Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Trent Alexander-Arnold got snubbed badly
Say what you want about Trent, but he is a fabulous player who can produce gilt edged chances out of thin air, and he's been playing very well for an underperforming Real Madrid team these last several weeks. Tuchel clearly has an agenda against Trent and doesn't see him as a fit for whatever his tactical ideas are, but not having Trent at all as an option in the squad is a massive gamble.
It's also not like Djed Spence is a great direct competitor to Trent Alexander-Arnold on the grounds of quality. He's a very mediocre player who could be out of North London by this time next year once Brazilian prospect Souza hits the ground running at left back, which is where Spence mostly plays.
A decent squad player for the rotation, Spence is a depth guy on a Tottenham Hotspur team that is one of the worst teams in the Premier League, so Thomas Tuchel thinking that a Spurs backup is ripe for the England national team squad over, again, Real Madrid's starting right back is a very, very bold call indeed.
Since Spence is not a vital player for Tottenham, the risk of him getting injured in the England squad does not at all outweight the benefit of him getting to go to the World Cup with a team good enough to have reached the last European Championship Final. Spence is about to get a boost in profile and transfer value from this, so it's a pleasant surprise for Spurs.
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