Van der Vaart Critiques Eze, Madueke for World Cup Squad

Rafael van der Vaart, a former Tottenham Hotspur player, expressed his disagreement with the selection of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke for England's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He criticized their performances during the 2025-26 season, stating that Eze and Madueke were overrated.

Eze, who plays for Arsenal, has made 36 appearances across competitions, scoring 10 goals and providing six assists. In contrast, Madueke has scored eight goals and assisted four times in 43 appearances, with 27 starts.

Van der Vaart suggested that both players should be replaced in the squad. He also expressed confusion regarding Cole Palmer's absence from the squad, despite Palmer's achievements of 11 goals and three assists in 34 matches for Chelsea last season.

Palmer has also recorded two goals and one assist in 14 appearances for the England national team but was not selected for the World Cup.