The close-knit circle of wives and partners of England’s national team players is no longer what it used to be. When the team reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup four years ago, this group would often appear together in the stands. Now, however, only one member of that tight-knit alliance remains: Megan Pickford, wife of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
She is expected to cross the Atlantic once again to support the team’s primary goalkeeper at the World Cup. Megan previously served as a bridesmaid at the wedding of Fern Maguire, wife of Harry Maguire; however, Fern will not be attending the World Cup this time. This is because coach Thomas Tuchel did not include Harry in the final 26-man squad. Expressing her frustration with the decision, Fern said, “You had nothing left to prove. There is no need to state how respected you are. It is simply sad that you were dropped due to one person’s personal opinion.”
Apart from Harry Maguire, his Manchester United teammate and fellow England footballer Luke Shaw also failed to secure a spot in the World Cup squad. He fell behind players such as Tino Livramento, Nico O’Reilly, Djed Spence, and Dan Burn. Consequently, Luke Shaw’s long-time partner, Anouska Santos, will not be present at the tournament either. The couple has been together since 2017 and has four children; she had previously attended matches during the 2018 and 2022 World Cups as well as subsequent Euros. Meanwhile, Kieran Trippier retired from international football in 2024 and separated from his wife, Charlotte, in June 2025.
They had been living apart for over a year before formally proceeding with a divorce. Married in 2016, they share three children. In 2024, Trippier was spotted in an intimate moment with call-center worker Frankie Carmichael at a Newcastle bar called ‘Butcher’s Jo’s’. Additionally, a local eyewitness sent a video showing him with a mysterious blonde woman in the city. Later, he was also spotted in Ibiza with reality TV star Chloe Ferry.
Annie Kilner will not be present at the World Cup either, as her partner, Kyle Walker, has retired from international football. He stepped down from the national team in March, citing a desire to give the new generation a chance; consequently, he bowed out just four matches shy of the milestone of 100 caps for England. Coach Tuchel also dropped several other regular players when finalizing the squad—Jack Grealish among them. Grealish had sustained an injury while on loan at Everton in January. As a result, his long-time partner, Sasha Attwood, will not be in the stands this time; in the past, she used to set aside club rivalries to spend time with Fern Hawkins, the partner of a Manchester United player.
Another high-profile partner, Olivia Holder, will also be absent from the World Cup.
This is because Chelsea’s young star, Cole Palmer, failed to make the coach’s final squad. Finally, the exclusion of Morgan Gibbs-White came as a surprise to many, given that he had scored 15 goals in the Premier League. Consequently, his partner, Britney de Villiers, will not be in the World Cup stands either. All in all, the once-prominent, tight-knit circle of England players’ wives and girlfriends has largely dissolved; only Megan Pickford remains amidst this changed reality.
