Trevoh Chalobah has always imagined himself representing England in a World Cup. In July 2018, the Chelsea defender voiced this dream on social media, stating, “I’d gone to the shops. It was when I got back to my hotel I saw Thomas had texted but it was two hours before. I didn’t see the message for two hours. I wasn’t on my phone. I was just walking around.” alongside an image of the World Cup trophy. At that point, he was only 19 years old and had just secured a loan move to Ipswich in the Championship. That post has since taken on a remarkably prophetic quality.
Despite his earlier optimism, Chalobah did not foresee his chance materializing this summer. He had been left out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the tournament in North America, despite a successful season at Chelsea, during which he made a career-high 47 appearances. It seemed as though his opportunity had passed him by.
However, the situation changed dramatically last Monday, revealing the emotional complexities inherent in a football career. The disappointment of being excluded from the squad was felt keenly by Tino Livramento, who had to withdraw due to a calf injury sustained during training the prior Sunday.
Meanwhile, Chalobah was on holiday in New York, having recently attended the Formula One Grand Prix in Monaco and spent time in Cannes, with plans to head to Los Angeles next.
Interestingly, Chalobah did not see Tuchel’s urgent message right away. “He was smiling and he said: ‘I have got some good news for you,’” he recalls. “I was just over the moon.”
Tuchel’s message carried a sense of urgency: he wanted to have a conversation with Chalobah. “It has always been a dream and that day I decided to tweet it,” he shared, describing the moment as a rush of emotions as he sensed its importance. “I believed that one day, hopefully I’d make it. This is the No 1 moment of my career, especially because I didn’t expect it [now]. That is the beautiful thing. To get a call like that shows that when you think all is lost or it’s not going to happen … that tweet came true.” he added. Soon, a video call with Tuchel brought the good news. “I gave them away at the end of the season,” Chalobah recounted, his excitement evident: “My sponsors were going to send me boots out [to the US] for me to do my own thing with a personal trainer. I was waiting for that to happen when I got to Los Angeles. I had to speed up the process when I got called up.”
This moment marked the culmination of Chalobah’s World Cup aspirations, prompting him to share his earlier tweet once again. “As athletes you always have to be mentally ready,” he explained regarding the 2018 post. “I was in a position where I was switching off and recovering and enjoying my holidays but I’ve been used to this last-minute stuff throughout my career so I was able to adapt.”
Tuchel had advised Chalobah to “I know how far I’ve come. I know what I’ve been through. So I can’t allow those moments to define who I am or have that disbelief. I have faith. In my career, I’ve always been coming in – maybe not seen as playing – but then I’m always managing to play. It starts in training. Just give my all, make sure I’m ready when called upon. I believe I can play a big part at this World Cup.” when selecting his squad, and the defender made a point of remaining prepared. He understood that replacements for injured players could be made up to 24 hours before a team’s opening match, which for England was last Wednesday in Dallas, where they achieved a 4-2 victory over Croatia.
Chalobah flew from New York to Kansas City, arriving just in time to rejoin the squad following the Croatia match. The experience has been a whirlwind, including a notable detail about his boots. “No matter what happens, I know I have a foundation that I can lean on. Because of my faith, I know that those moments won’t define me. I just use them as fuel to always prove people wrong and I love it.” he noted. “Yeah, he tried to bring me to Bayern,”
Adjusting to the new surroundings has proven challenging for Chalobah, especially since he missed England’s warm-weather training camp in Florida. He initially worked out alone before taking part in his first full training session with the squad on Saturday. As Tuchel often emphasizes, adaptation is crucial.
“I’m still trying to get my money back.” Chalobah remarked. “I was in a position where I was switching off and recovering and enjoying my holidays, but I’ve been used to this last-minute stuff throughout my career, so I was able to adapt.”
Chalobah has faced significant transitions throughout his career. Following his loan at Ipswich, he played at Huddersfield in the Championship and Lorient in Ligue 1, all while grappling with uncertainty regarding his future at Chelsea during several pre-seasons. This uncertainty peaked in 2024 when Chelsea stripped him of his shirt number and placed him in the so-called bomb squad of players slated for sale. Eventually, he was loaned to Crystal Palace but was recalled in January 2025 to address an injury crisis. He remains resolute, refusing to believe that any door is permanently closed.
“I know the player I am,” he asserts. “I know how far I’ve come. I know what I’ve been through. So I can’t allow those moments to define who I am or have that disbelief. I have faith. In my career, I’ve always been coming in – maybe not seen as playing – but then I’m always managing to play. It starts in training. Just give my all, make sure I’m ready when called upon. I believe I can play a big part at this World Cup.”
Chalobah’s Christian faith underpins his life. “That’s what I build on,” he explains. “No matter what happens, I know I have a foundation that I can lean on. Because of my faith, I know that those moments won’t define me. I just use them as fuel to always prove people wrong and I love it.”
Tuchel’s choice to call up Chalobah has faced scrutiny. Questions have emerged regarding why a central defender was selected to replace Livramento, a full-back. Would Myles Lewis-Skelly or Lewis Hall not have been more suitable? However, Tuchel primarily viewed Livramento as a right-back, leading to considerations about Trent Alexander-Arnold or Harry Maguire.
Tuchel expressed concerns about Maguire’s ability to be a supportive player, a worry exacerbated by the Manchester United defender’s candid response to his exclusion. The manager previously stated in March that he regarded Chalobah as “ahead of Maguire on the level of mobility.” Tuchel’s strategy involves having Jarell Quansah cover at right-back and potentially left-back while Chalobah competes for the right centre-half position.
Tuchel believes in Chalobah’s potential. He handed the young talent his Chelsea debut in August 2021 during the European Super Cup against Villarreal, which marked the onset of his rise at the club. Tuchel even attempted to recruit him while at Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023. “Yeah, he tried to bring me to Bayern,” Chalobah confirmed. He also made his England debut under Tuchel against Senegal last June, which remains his only cap to date.
Reflecting on the whirlwind events of the past week, Chalobah was asked about the status of his hotel refund in Los Angeles. “Yeah,” he replied with a smile. “I’m still trying to get my money back.” Another appearance for England would hold immense value.
