‘Quite a big shout’ – What Gary Lineker said about possibility of World Cup call for Rio Ngumoha | OneFootball

Gary Lineker believes that the 2026 World Cup may come ‘a bit too soon’ for Rio Ngumoha to break into the England squad.

The 17-year-old has made a serious impression during his first season in senior football, injecting a much-needed spark into Liverpool’s attack along the left flank and scoring twice in the Premier League, including a memorable 100th-minute winner at Newcastle last August.

DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL EMPIRE OF THE KOP APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAY

However, having started just twice in the top flight and yet to even win an under-21 cap for his country, he’d still represent a rogue shout for Thomas Tuchel’s selection for the tournament in North America rather than a leading contender for a seat on the plane.

Lineker doesn’t see Ngumoha making 2026 World Cup squad

In the latest episode of The Rest Is Football, Lineker praised the impact that Ngumoha has made for the Reds but doesn’t see him getting into the England squad for this year’s World Cup, which is now just seven weeks away.

The former Match of the Day host said: “I mean, that’s quite a big shout. He’s only just broken into the Liverpool team, but he’s very exciting. He is a talent, but yeah, it’s just come a bit too soon for him, I think.”

Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust

Ngumoha’s time for England will come, even if it isn’t this summer

We agree with Lineker on this one – as brilliant as Ngumoha has been and as much as he’s deserved his first-team minutes at Liverpool, it’d come as a massive shock if Tuchel were to include him in the England squad for the upcoming World Cup.

Some may point to Theo Walcott’s bombshell inclusion for the 2006 finals (when he was 17 and hadn’t yet played for Arsenal) as an even more unlikely precedent, although the depth of attacking options available to the current Three Lions boss is much larger than what Sven-Goran Eriksson had 20 years ago.

Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford and Harvey Barnes are all tried-and-tested options on the left flank, with Phil Foden, Morgan Rogers, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke also capable of lining out there, so there’s already huge competition for places in Tuchel’s attack.

In that context, for Ngumoha to even be mentioned in conversations as a potential wildcard pick for the 2026 World Cup is a testament to how brilliantly he’s doing for Liverpool, with his stock rising further after his magnificent goal against Fulham a fortnight ago.

Even if the England call doesn’t come in time for June, it seems almost certain that the 17-year-old will receive his maiden Three Lions cap in the foreseeable future, should he build upon his exploits of this season and avoid any cruel injury setbacks.