Credit: Imago

Scott Mason

Fri 22 May 2026 13:10, UK

Dominic Calvert-Lewin will have had a tough past couple of days as the Leeds United striker awaited a call-up for England.

However, only a negative phone call would arrive with Thomas Tuchel delivering the bad news that Calvert-Lewin would not be going to the World Cup.

Instead, the German has selected Harry Kane and Ollie Watkins, who were always the expected selections for the striker position.

But it was the third striker selection that has caught the attention of many, with Ivan Toney being selected. It was a surprise decision from Tuchel, especially with the striker playing in Saudi Arabia.

Calvert-Lewin is a model professional, so he will have understood being left out, but that might change after Tuchel’s explanation behind the decision.

Why has Thomas Tuchel selected Ivan Toney?

Tuchel has been before the press to explain his England selections, with many causing uproar throughout social media.

One of which was the decision to include Toney in his squad, while the likes of Calvert-Lewin and Danny Welbeck were left at home.

The two aforementioned strikers have been performing excellently in the Premier League. However, Calvert-Lewin will not be going to the World Cup.

Speaking about selecting Toney, England manager Tuchel said: “He can be a presence in the box when we are pushing for a goal. He can take attention off other strikers; he has a natural presence.

“He is a natural finisher in the box. He can help us with set pieces. Very strong in the air, very good at using his body, and, not to forget, he is a world-class penalty taker. He ticked some boxes that we wanted to be ticked.”

Why Dominic Calvert-Lewin should be confused over England snub

So, let’s go through each reason one by one. First of all, Calvert-Lewin is a very physical striker, and he certainly has a presence in the box.

This season, three of his 14 goals have come from headed attempts.

Secondly, Calvert-Lewin is also a natural finisher in the box and constantly gets into the right positions to score goals. It is evident by his goal map which has the majority of his strikes coming in the central areas of the box.

Thirdly, as stated, Calvert-Lewin can have a box presence, and that comes with a set-piece threat as well. In the Premier League this season, no forward has more aerial duels won than the Englishman (127).

Finally, while Toney has a 94 per cent success rate from the 12-yard spot, missing just four from 62 attempts, the Leeds forward is not terrible at penalties either.

He has scored 13 penalties from 15 attempts, an 86 per cent rate. Surely, that minimal difference can’t be the deciding factor between the two?

Overall, Calvert-Lewin has performed in a harder and tougher league and holds most of the attributes Tuchel described for Toney. The Leeds star should be confused.