The Decision Behind The Move
A dozen members of Michael Carrick’s roster will be duking it out at the World Cup this summer but much of the spotlight was initially stolen by the Manchester United players not jetting across the Atlantic. Harry Maguire—and the rest of his relatives— made his feelings about a snub from Thomas Tuchel abundantly apparent on social media.
Neither of United’s top scorers in the freshly concluded 2025–26 campaign, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško, will be taking part in the tournament either—although that is a consequence of international failings rather than any individual omission.
That is usually how club statements work: the wording stays calm while the room clearly has not.
Notwithstanding any cutting tweets Maguire’s cousins conjure up over the summer, focus will soon shift to the Manchester United players actually taking part in the greatest spectacle soccer has to offer. Martínez won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022. | Pablo Morano/BSR Agency/Getty Images Lisandro Martínez is going for the double.
The Job Ahead
The 2022 winner is set to play an even larger role in Argentina’s attempts to defend its world title after serving as an able deputy for much of the campaign in Qatar. Lionel Scaloni counted upon Martínez throughout the triumphant 2024 Copa América campaign yet “The Butcher” has largely been sheathed ever since. Across the past two years, injury has limited Martínez to just three caps.
Algeria —Tuesday, June 16 (9 p.m. Austria —Monday, June 22 (1 p.m. Argentina —Saturday, June 27 (10 p.m. ET) Chances of Progression Quarterfinals: 46.25% All World Cup predictions are according to Opta.
Senne Lammens will not be Belgium’s starting goalkeeper. | Gabriel Calvino Alonso/BSR Agency/Getty Images Senne Lammens may have impressed everyone with a remarkably assured set of performances across his debut season at Manchester United. The Premier League even officially voted him as the best signing of the year.
The Pressure That Remains
However, he remains firmly behind Thibaut Courtois—arguably the best goalkeeper in any league —in Belgium’s pecking or der. Egypt —Monday, June 15 (3 p.m. Iran —Sunday, June 21 (3 p.m. Belgium —Friday, June 26 (11 p.m.
ET) Chances of Progression Quarterfinals: 28.07% Casemiro, Matheus Cunha Manchester United are a team reborn. | Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images Casemiro is still technically a Manchester United player until June 30—even if he skipped the club’s final match of the season to get a headstart on his World Cup preparations.
Matheus Cunha had the decency to travel to Brighton, watching a comfortable 3–0 win from the bench. That was where Cunha found himself at the start of Michael Carrick’s tenure before Patrick Dorgu’s injury opened up a spot on the left wing. Once the Dane returned to full fitness, Cunha was once again demoted, offering up some nagging questions for the start of next season. Morocco —Saturday, June 13 (6 p.m.