DECLAN RICE GIVES POWERFUL MESSAGE ABOUT ENGLAND’S HOPES AT WORLD CUP
Declan Rice says England "want to win" the 2026 World Cup, insisting it would be a "weak mentality" not to believe they can. The Arsenal midfielder is in the form of his life and feels like a senior leader for the Three Lions.
On Tuesday night, a man posing as a representative of a Baltic sports agency entered the mixed area of the Daugava Stadium and began yelling a variety of strange enquiries about the "Latvian lads" at Declan Rice while he was standing and speaking to reporters.
Rice waited for the man to be taken away before continuing as if nothing had occurred, blinking back the questions with a wide, if slightly perplexed, smile. That is what rice excels at. Nothing seems to change his style because he has become such a skilled and calm player.
After England crushed the host team 5-0 in Riga to secure their qualification for the World Cup next summer, he paused to consider his expectations for the competition. He made good word choices, but perhaps he was afraid of being accused of being overconfident.
He declared, "We want to win it." "That will be a bold statement, but we are England, and we have players of the highest calibre everywhere on the pitch."I believe that we would have a weak mentality if we did not think that way.
"Everyone wants to win the World Cup; it would be amazing to have it in our career." Many of the world's top players are visible, and you can see how important winning is to them. It is just about building to that moment; there is still a long way to go.
As Arsenal gets ready for their matchup with Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday night, Rice is enjoying a great season at the centre of their midfield and has helped them win the Premier League. He is one of the first names on Thomas Tuchel's teamsheet, and he is publicly regarded by some as the best midfield player in the division.
Declan Rice has called on England to have complete faith in their ability to win the World Cup the following summer.
Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions defeated Latvia 5-0 to earn a spot in the competition.
The Arsenal player has made a name for himself as a leader in the England squad.
At this point in the season, Rice remarked, "I feel probably the fittest I have ever been." I simply feel so powerful. One of the most important things in football is having confidence. For the past few years, I have felt very secure in my abilities.
I also have more self-assurance in the group. I now feel like a senior member of the England team. I believe it took me a few years with this England squad to reach that point, but for me, tonight was cap 70. That is why it is moving so fast. You know, I am still only 26.
All I have to do is keep playing well and keep moving forward. The boys ask me for my thoughts. I am in the leadership group, I have a close relationship with the younger people here, and I obviously get along well with the older guys. Bridging the gap between the two is a good idea. As we prepare for next summer, I simply want to do everything in my power to support the team.
THOMAS TUCHEL NAMES EXPANDED ENGLAND SQUAD FEATURING FOUR SURPRISE NEW INCLUSIONS
Thomas Tuchel hands maiden England call-ups to James Garner and Jason Steele while omitting Trent Alexander-Arnold.
James Garner from Everton and Brighton’s goalkeeper Jason Steele have earned their first call-ups to the England squad. Alongside them, AC Milan’s defender Fikayo Tomori and Tottenham’s forward Dominic Solanke have also been included. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luke Shaw did not make the cut this time.
Jude Bellingham, despite being sidelined since early February due to a hamstring injury, is still part of the squad. Experienced centre-back Harry Maguire, now 33, has the chance to add to his 64 caps, while 20-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, who started in the Euro 2024 final, is also selected. Both last represented England in September 2024 but have been rewarded for Manchester United’s recent good form, which has lifted them to third place in the Premier League.
Luke Shaw, pushing for inclusion, has been overlooked once again. Instead, Tuchel has called up Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, marking his first call-up since Tuchel took over.
This squad is larger than usual, with players arriving in two phases during the international window. Tuchel explained on the Football Association’s website that the first group includes players who haven’t played much recently, aiming to broaden competition for spots in the upcoming US tour. Then, from Friday to Saturday, another group will join, including some who’ve had a short rest, to mix things up for the match against Japan.
England will face Uruguay at Wembley on March 27, followed by a home game against Japan on March 31. Looking ahead, the World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with England considered among the contenders.
Here’s the full squad breakdown:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle), Jason Steele (Brighton)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham)
WHY CAF STRIPPED SENEGAL OF THEIR AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS TITLE
Following a final walk-off, Senegal has lost its AFCON trophy in the boardroom, prompting an appeal to CAS by the FSF.
Moussa Niakhate finally spoke out after the Confederation of African Football’s shocking decision to take Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy away. After that wild walk-off in the final against Morocco, CAF backed an appeal and handed the host nation a 3-0 win by default. Senegalese players were furious; who wouldn’t be?
The boardroom decision completely flipped African football on its head. Two months after the final, the CAF Appeal Board tossed out Senegal’s victory and gave Morocco the win. It all started deep into stoppage time when VAR gave Morocco a penalty. Pape Thiaw, Senegal’s manager, lost it and told his players to leave the field. Eventually, they came back and finished the match. Still, officials said the walk-off broke tournament rules, so they took the title away. Brutal.
Niakhate, the 30-year-old defender who was key in Senegal’s backline, got asked about it before Lyon’s Europa League match with Celta. He’d already posted a photo with his medal and the trophy right after the ruling. He made it clear: nothing a boardroom says can erase what happened on the pitch. He said, “Out of respect for the club and with the crucial match in mind, I don’t want to go into too much detail. You saw my reaction on social media; it’s the same today. What I can say is that nothing has changed for me compared to what we went through in January. I’ll have time to talk about it again in due course; for now, I’m going to stay focused on Lyon.”
That final in Rabat was pure chaos, even before Senegal won 1-0 on the field. Most players followed Thiaw down the tunnel, but Sadio Mane stayed, urging his teammates to come back. Brahim Diaz took the penalty but tried a Panenka, and Edouard Mendy caught it easily. The game went to extra time, Papa Gueye scored, and Senegal thought they were champions again. It didn't matter; the walk-off cost them everything. The committee called it a 3-0 forfeit.
It’s harsh for a team that believed they’d gone back-to-back. Niakhate, who started six out of seven games, is now focusing on Lyon’s European campaign. Still, that boardroom drama isn’t going away, not with the international break coming up. Senegal’s already planning to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
