Cole Palmer left one of the most striking anecdotes related to the 2026 World Cup. The English footballer revealed that he followed England's matches during his vacation, although he was not able to watch the entire match against Mexico because he fell asleep during the break.
The confession occurred in Australia, where Chelsea is on its preseason tour. Palmer explained that time differences made it difficult to follow the tournament held in North America. "Obviously, I was away and times were a little chaotic in the United States. So it was a little difficult, but I saw it," he said.
The match against Mexico, corresponding to the round of 16, began at 2 in the morning in British time after a one-hour delay caused by a storm. England ended up winning 3-2 at the Azteca Stadium despite playing with ten players.
When asked specifically about that meeting, the playmaker caused laughter among journalists with an unexpected response: “Yes, but I fell asleep at half-time.”
Out of the World Cup, but pay attention to England
Palmer's absence from the final list of 26 players drawn up by Thomas Tuchel was one of the most talked about decisions before the championship. The 24-year-old footballer was not part of the squad that traveled to the World Cup and took advantage of the summer to rest after a 2025-26 season marked by several injuries.
Despite being left out of the tournament, he assured that he followed the English team's journey during the competition. England advanced to the semi-finals, where they were eliminated by Argentina.
Palmer acknowledged that the exclusion left him with a difficult feeling, but also with additional motivation for the future. “Naturally, if someone tells you that you're basically not good enough to make the team, then you're going to try a lot harder,” he said.
New season with Chelsea and Xabi Alonso
The England international is already working under Xabi Alonso in preparation for Chelsea's new campaign. The London team is in Australia playing pre-season friendly matches and has a duel against Tottenham scheduled for next Saturday.
The experience of missing the World Cup now adds to his goals for the season that is about to begin. Palmer noted that he will use that situation as a personal stimulus in his preparation.
While England left the tournament behind after losing to Argentina, the midfielder begins a new season with Chelsea determined to regain prominence both in his club and in the national team.
