World Cup 2026: Why Nigerian-born Liverpool star, Rio Ngumoha is not eligible to play for England

Liverpool winger, Rio Ngumoha will not be able to take part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer, even if England requires a last-minute changes.

This is due to the fact that the 17-year-old was not listed in Thomas Tuchel’s 55-man provisional squad, a decision made nearly a month ago.

Although he was not included in England’s provisional squad, Tuchel opted to include Ngumoha as part of the training players in his 26-man World Cup roster heading to the United States. 

This squad also features other promising talents such as Alex Scott, Josh King, and Ethan Nwaneri, who were just there for training purposes.

Rio Ngumoha made his senior debut for the Three Lions after coming on as a substitute at half-time during his country’s 1-0 victory over New Zealand in an international friendly on June 6.

Consequently, the Liverpool player became the fifth-youngest individual to debut for England. Furthermore, he garnered attention by winning the Player of the Match award.

Despite his commendable performance, Ngumoha will not have the opportunity to play for Thomas Tuchel and his team at the World Cup in the event of an injury or illness before their opening match against Croatia on June 17.

This is because FIFA regulations stipulate that any replacement player must be part of the provisional squad list, according to SPORTbible.

Fortunately for Ngumoha, he will still have the chance to play for the Three Lions in their final friendly match against Costa Rica on June 10.