cole palmer was left out of England's squad for the 2026 World Cup, and he answered with a laid-back post from his summer break. The Chelsea playmaker shared nine photos on Instagram after Thomas Tuchel chose other creative options for the tournament.
Palmer's Instagram Response
His caption was brief: "could be worse". The post matched the mood of a player suddenly handed an unexpected break after being one of England's go-to attacking options over the last year.
The photos showed beach days with friends, professional photoshoots and promotion for his COLE'D brand. Palmer was also recently spotted relaxing in Ibiza alongside Wayne Lineker, the owner of O Beach club, before turning the page to his summer downtime.
Tuchel's World Cup Call
Tuchel picked other creative options for England's World Cup squad despite Palmer recording 11 Premier League goals in the season before the announcement. That scoring total kept him in the conversation, but it was not enough to secure a place for the tournament.
England were preparing in Florida and Miami, including work in 32-degree Miami heat, when Palmer was posting from afar. He had arrived in west London in 2023 and has had very little time to rest since then, which makes this break a rare reset before the 2026-27 domestic season with Chelsea.
Chelsea's Pre-Season Window
Palmer is now expected to report for a full pre-season under Chelsea's coaching staff. For Chelsea, the immediate result is a rested attacker returning after an enforced pause; for Palmer, the omission hands him a summer that was not planned, but may leave him fresher for the new league campaign.
