Chelsea star Cole Palmer has spoken candidly about his exclusion from England's 2026 FIFA World Cup squad, revealing that he even dozed off during the team's Round of 16 encounter with Mexico. Despite his absence from the roster, Palmer noted that he did keep track of some of the tournament, though the time difference in America made viewing difficult.
When asked specifically about the England versus Mexico match, which kicked off at 2 am in the UK, the midfielder admitted, "Yeah, but then I fell asleep at half-time." That particular fixture at the Azteca Stadium saw England secure a 3-2 victory. Jude Bellingham netted two early goals in the 36th and 38th minutes, while Julian Quinones responded for Mexico shortly after. Although Jarrel Quansah was sent off in the 54th minute, England maintained their lead through penalties from Harry Kane in the 60th minute and Raul Jimenez in the 69th.
England ultimately concluded their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign by winning the bronze medal. The Three Lions were defeated 2-1 by Argentina in the semi-finals but triumphed 6-4 against France in the third-place playoff. Head coach Thomas Tuchel had opted to leave Palmer out of the squad, favoring players such as Morgan Rogers and Jude Bellingham instead.
Reflecting on his omission following an injury-plagued 2025-26 season—where he recorded 11 goals and three assists in 34 appearances as Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League—Palmer acknowledged the frustration of being told he was not good enough. He suggested the snub served as motivation to work harder. However, when asked about his current desire to return to the international setup, he remained focused on his club duties, stating, "I’m not really thinking about that now, to be honest. I’m just looking forward to the season with Chelsea, and to be honest, I’m not too bothered about that." Chelsea is set to open their 2026-27 Premier League campaign against Fulham at Craven Cottage on August 24.
He answered (h/t Daily Mail):"I watched some of it (the World Cup).
Obviously I was away and the times were a bit mad in America.
