Rio Ngumoha could still play at FIFA World Cup after making England debut

Rio Ngumoha made his England debut against New Zealand during a 1-0 international friendly win as fans wonder if the Liverpool teenager could still reach the World Cup if injuries force changes

Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha is suddenly in the World Cup conversation after making his senior England debut against New Zealand, just days before the tournament.

England coach Thomas Tuchel made changes at halftime in Tampa to bring on Ngumoha for Ollie Watkins after taking a 1-0 lead behind Harry Kane's header, which was sufficient to seal the win. Ngumoha was originally viewed as a training player for the final squad.

The FIFA World Cup begins June 11 and runs to July 19 and will feature 48 teams competing across three host nations in North America. Ngumoha's involvement with the squad has reignited discussions about whether there remains any route for him to feature at the upcoming tournament.

All 48 nations have now sent their final squads to FIFA. Teams first named provisional lists of 35 to 55 players, then trimmed them to 23 to 26 for the tournament.

FIFA rules allow for late squad changes if a player is injured or sick, but only up to 24 hours before the team's first match. The replacement must come from the provisional list.

England begins their World Cup campaign in Group L play against Croatia on June 17. If an injury were to strike before then, the Football Association could only promote a player who was included on the original provisional list submitted to FIFA.

England did not release their 55-man provisional squad. Reports say Alex Scott is also eligible for a call-up, but it's unclear if Ngumoha was on the list. However, Tuchel's decision to bring Ngumoha to the US and give him minutes suggests he might be.

The teenager traveled alongside Scott, Fulham's Josh King, and Arsenal prospect Ethan Nwaneri as additional training players during the final stages of preparation. Scott and King both failed to appear in the game.

Tuchel explained why he wanted young players around the group before the tournament, saying: "We will take some young players out who will train with us and keep the squad at the size we need so we have all the possibilities for the two friendly matches to take care about the minutes and load of the players."

Ngumoha has risen quickly at Liverpool. The 17-year-old already broke into the first team during the 2025-26 season and featured in 19 Premier League games while starting in five.

He added two goals and one assist in 560 minutes and also played four times during the Champions League. Ngumoha's first goal was an extra-time game-winner against Newcastle after logging just one minute on the pitch.

Ngumoha's World Cup hopes now hang in the balance of his teammates' overall health. Tuchel has primarily deployed Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford as his trusted left wingers.

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