England name final squad for 2022 FIFA World Cup

By Emre Asikci

ISTANBUL (AA) – England manager Gareth Southgate Thursday announced his "Three Lions" squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

"We've wanted to make sure we've got the balance of the squad right. I think in this day and age the squad is more important than ever," Southgate said.

"You want different options for different moments of matches and stages of the tournament," he said at a press conference.

Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho missed out on a place in Southgate's 26-man squad along with Roma forward Tammy Abraham.

High-profile stars like Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Jordan Henderson have been included in the Three Lions' call-up list.

Manchester City are the most represented side in the squad with five players, including Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, John Stones, Kyle Walker, and Kalvin Phillips.

England will face Iran, the US and Wales in Group B.

The Qatar 2022, the first World Cup ever to be played in the Northern Hemisphere's winter, will kick off on Nov. 20.

- Southgate's final 26-man England squad:

Goalkeepers:

Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)

Defenders:

Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Ben White (Arsenal), John Stones (Manchester City), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Conor Coady (Wolves), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Manchester United)

Midfielders:

Declan Rice (West Ham), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea)

Forwards:

Raheem Sterling (Chelsea), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), James Maddison (Leicester), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Callum Wilson (Newcastle)