England squad revealed by Gareth Southgate ahead of World Cup in Qatar
England have announced their squad for the World Cup, with James Maddison and Callum Wilson among the 26 players heading to Qatar.
Manager Gareth Southgate’s picks also include Harry Maguire, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Marcus Rashford and Jude Bellingham.
Those missing out include Brentford striker Ivan Toney, Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, Roma striker Tammy Abraham and Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho.
The manager has largely stuck with experienced players, with the most notable additions being Leicester’s Maddison and Newcastle’s Wilson.
Maddison’s only previous cap was as a substitute against Montenegro in 2019.
Southgate said he’d made the decision to include Maddison two weeks ago, saying that he was “playing really well” and had “earned the right” to be in the squad.
He added: “We think he can give us something slightly different to the other attacking players we’ve got.
“I think at various stages there have been conversations, debates about James. There’s been moments where ahead of the Euros I don’t think he was in contention and (in) September was probably a fair debate, but I think he’s playing as well as any of the attacking players in this country.”
Read more:
The numbers behind England’s World Cup squad
Asked if his squad contained everything necessary to win a World Cup, Southgate said: “We’ve wanted to make sure the balance of the squad is right.
“I think the squad is more important than ever. With five substitutes, you can have almost half the team changed during the game, so you want different options for different moments of matches and stages at the tournament as well.
“We’ve had to cover a couple of players that aren’t yet fully fit, so having 26 available meant we were probably able to take a couple of risks that you might not have been able to with 23. But we think the balance is there, and we’ve got cover in the positions we need.
“We’re lighter on depth in some positions than others, but we think we’ve got everything covered.”
England will hope to follow in the footsteps of the Lionesses, who won the Euros in the summer
England stars to keep up human rights stance
Addressing some of the issues around the World Cup being held in Qatar, Southgate declined to say whether the players would be taking the knee during the tournament, saying that was a decision for them to take themselves.
Asked if the team would be complying with FIFA’s plea to “let football take the stage” and not speak about human rights concerns in Qatar, Southgate said: “I think that’s highly unlikely.
“Contrary to one or two observations in the last few weeks we have spoken about the human rights challenges and been very clear on our standpoint.
“We would also like to focus primarily on the football – this is a carnival of football, a thing you work for your whole life.
“You don’t want that to be diminished by everything else that’s going on around it, but we recognise we are going to be in that situation.”
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In Full: Qatar on sport and politics
‘My childhood dream’
Some players took to social media after the announcement, with Harry Kane tweeting: “So proud to be captaining my country at a World Cup for the second time.
“I know this group of lads will give absolutely everything to go all the way. Let’s go!”
Bukayo Saka also posted: “My childhood dream to play in a World Cup has come true!
“Qatar 2022. Let’s go @england.”
England’s fixture list
The tournament begins on 20 November and England’s first match is a day later against Iran at 1pm UK time.
Their second match is against the US on 25 November, followed by a final group game with Wales on 29 November. Both games start at 7pm.
Some of the squad have barely a week off before their campaign begins, as Premier League games are being played this weekend.
If England make it through as group winners, their knockout game will be on 4 December, and on 3 December if they finish second.
The last two major tournaments have seen the Three Lions come close to glory, but ultimately falling short.
They lost 2-1 to Croatia in the semi-final of the last World Cup, and were beaten on penalties by Italy in the final of the Euros last summer.
The Three Lions squad in full:
Goalkeepers
Jordan Pickford
Nick Pope
Aaron Ramsdale
Defenders
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Conor Coady
Eric Dier
Harry Maguire
Luke Shaw
John Stones
Kieran Trippier
Kyle Walker
Ben White
Midfielders
Jude Bellingham
Conor Gallagher
Jordan Henderson
Mason Mount
Kalvin Phillips
Declan Rice
Forwards
Phil Foden
Jack Grealish
Harry Kane
James Maddison
Marcus Rashford
Bukayo Saka
Raheem Sterling
Callum Wilson
Sir Keir Starmer has joined other European leaders in Kyiv to press Russia to agree an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
The prime minister is attending the summit alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, recently-elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
It is the first time the leaders of the four countries have travelled to Ukraine at the same time – arriving in the capital by train – with their meeting hosted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz travelling in the saloon car of a special train to Kyiv. Pic: Reuters
Leaders arrive in Kyiv by train. Pic: PA
It comes after Donald Trump called for “ideally” a 30-day ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, and warned that if any pause in the fighting is not respected “the US and its partners will impose further sanctions”.
Security and defence analyst Michael Clarke told Sky News presenter Samantha Washington the European leaders are “rowing in behind” the US president, who referred to his “European allies” for the first time in this context in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“So this meeting is all about heaping pressure on the Russians to go along with the American proposal,” he said.
“It’s the closest the Europeans and the US have been for about three months on this issue.”
Sir Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron among world leaders in Kyiv. Pic: AP
Trump calls for ceasefire. Pic: Truth Social
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine and its allies are ready for a “full, unconditional ceasefire” for at least 30 days starting on Monday.
Ahead of the meeting on Saturday, Sir Keir, Mr Macron, Mr Tusk and Mr Merz released a joint statement.
European leaders show solidarity – but await Trump’s backing
The hope is Russia’s unilateral ceasefire, such as it’s worth, can be extended for a month to give peace a chance.
But ahead of the meeting, Ukrainian sources told Sky News they are still waiting for President Donald Trump to put his full weight behind the idea.
The US leader has said a 30-day ceasefire would be ideal, but has shown no willingness yet for putting pressure on Russian president Vladimir Putin to agree.
The Russians say a ceasefire can only come after a peace deal can be reached.
European allies are still putting their hopes in a negotiated end to the war despite Moscow’s intransigence and President Trump’s apparent one-sided approach favouring Russia.
Ukrainians would prefer to be given enough economic and military support to secure victory.
But in over three years, despite its massive economic superiority to Russia and its access to more advanced military technology, Europe has not found the political will to give Kyiv the means to win.
Until they do, Vladimir Putin may decide it is still worth pursuing this war despite its massive cost in men and materiel on both sides.
“We reiterate our backing for President Trump’s calls for a peace deal and call on Russia to stop obstructing efforts to secure an enduring peace,” they said.
“Alongside the US, we call on Russia to agree a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace.”
Sir Keir and Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in March. Pic: AP
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Putin’s Victory Day parade explained
The leaders said they were “ready to support peace talks as soon as possible”.
But they warned that they would continue to “ratchet up pressure on Russia’s war machine” until Moscow agrees to a lasting ceasefire.
“We are clear the bloodshed must end, Russia must stop its illegal invasion, and Ukraine must be able to prosper as a safe, secure and sovereign nation within its internationally recognised borders for generations to come,” their statement added.
“We will continue to increase our support for Ukraine.”
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The European leaders are set to visit the Maidan, a central square in Ukraine’s capital where flags represent those who died in the war.
They are also expected to host a virtual meeting for other leaders in the “coalition of the willing” to update them on progress towards a peacekeeping force.
Military officers from around 30 countries have been involved in drawing up plans for a coalition, which would provide a peacekeeping force in the event of a ceasefire being agreed between Russia and Ukraine.
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This force “would help regenerate Ukraine’s armed forces after any peace deal and strengthen confidence in any future peace”, according to Number 10.
A special constable has been jailed after taking pictures on his phone from bodycam footage showing a dying man.
Former police volunteer William Heggs, 23, was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment at Leicester Crown Court on Friday after showing the photos of victim William Harty, 28, to a female colleague and storing them on his Snapchat account.
Mr Harty was found seriously injured in a residential street in Leicester on 25 October 2021 and Heggs had attended the scene, helping with CPR before paramedics arrived.
Mr Harty died in hospital a day later and the man responsible for his injuries, his brother-in-law Martin Casey, was subsequently convicted of his manslaughter.
Heggs showed the pictures he had taken of bodycam footage of Mr Harty’s body to a Leicestershire Police constable, who reported Heggs and said she did not like seeing blood.
His phone was seized and officers discovered other photographs and video clips of bodyworn footage of incidents Heggs had attended on duty, including of a knife seizure, use of baton and pepper spray, and a man with an injured hand receiving first aid.
He also took pictures of a police computer screen, showing details of crimes and suspects, without consent.
Heggs stored the materials in a Snapchat folder and disclosed graphic details – most of which were not in the public domain – about the injuries to a woman who was killed in a road traffic collision he had attended, to a friend on the social media platform.
Heggs was suspended from the force in November 2021 and resigned in October 2024 before pleading guilty to 11 computer misuse and data protection offences this March.
William Harty’s widow Mandy Casey. Pic: PA
‘He has traumatised me’
Mr Harty’s widow, Mandy Casey, said in a victim impact statement read to the court that Heggs “took (her) husband’s dignity when he was most vulnerable”.
“You don’t take someone’s dignity and pride from them on their deathbed.”
She continued: “When I found out special constable Heggs had done this, I just wanted to ask why. He has traumatised me. I feel I will never know if he showed them to others.”
Ms Casey said she was still scared that photos of her husband’s body might appear on social media.
She added that she had lost trust in the police.
Public trust in police ‘significantly undermined’
Judge Timothy Spencer told Heggs, who has autism and ADHD, that he was “probably too immature to be working as a police officer” as he handed down the sentence.
He said Heggs had received “extensive training”, including on the importance of data protection, and knew he should only share materials for “a genuine policing purpose”.
Heggs’s actions had “significantly undermined” public trust and confidence in police, according to the judge.
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Malcolm McHaffie, from the Crown Prosecution Service, added: “William Heggs abused the public’s trust in the office he held as a special police constable.
“He violated the dignity of the deceased victims for no apparent reason other than what could be considered personal fascination and to gain credibility among his peers.”
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