England’s Tuchel open to calling up Max Dowman at 16: Who’s the youngest ever to play at a World Cup?
This Friday, England announced their squad for the March FIFA international break and, although Arsenal wonderkid Max Dowman was not included, head coach Thomas Tuchel admitted he is considering him for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“He’s a fantastic talent,” Tuchel said during Friday’s press conference, according to reporter Fabrizio Romano on his official X account. “We still have a chance to call him for the World Cup.”
However, the head coach clarified that he preferred not to include him at this stage: “At the moment he competes for minutes so he’s not a regular starter for Arsenal. He is in the best environment possible, he has to keep going. No need to call him up now and increase the pressure.”
The English attacking midfielder is currently one of the breakout stars in European soccer due to his performances with the Gunners. In fact, just a few days ago he became the youngest player to score a goal in Premier League history after netting in a 2-0 win over Everton.
Who are the youngest players to feature in a World Cup?
If Thomas Tuchel decides to include him in the 26-man squad that will represent England at North America 2026, Max Dowman would become the youngest player in history to appear in a FIFA World Cup.
By the time the Three Lions make their debut in the tournament this summer, on June 17 against Croatia, Dowman would be just 16 years and 169 days old. That would place him at the top of the all-time list by a significant margin.
At present, the record belongs to Norman Whiteside of Northern Ireland, who made his debut at the 1982 World Cup aged 17 years and 41 days in a match against Yugoslavia. He is followed by Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o (17 years, 99 days in 1998) and Nigeria’s Femi Opabunmi (17 years, 101 days in 2002).
England’s squad for the March FIFA international break
Beyond Max Dowman’s situation, Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the matches against Uruguay and Japan in March includes a notable omission: Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has stood out in recent weeks with Real Madrid. The coach addressed the decision clearly: “I know what Trent can give us and I decided still to stick to the players with us,” Tuchel said, referring to Tino Livramento, Djed Spence and Jarell Quansah.
Among the main inclusions in the squad is the return of Jude Bellingham, who has been dealing with physical issues that affected his appearances for Real Madrid. Also included are Manchester United players Harry Maguire and Kobbie Mainoo, as well as Manchester City defender John Stones.