Ivan Toney is aspiring to capture the World Cup with England as he seeks to secure a place in Thomas Tuchel’s squad.
The 29-year-old Al Ahli striker, who has netted 20 goals in the Saudi Pro League this season—two more than Cristiano Ronaldo—has not played for England since earning his seventh cap in a friendly against Senegal in June and was a runner-up at Euro 2024.
When asked about the significance of being selected for Tuchel’s squad in the summer tournament taking place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Toney shared with Sky Sports News: “It would be a dream to play there. Everyone dreams of that, and imagine if we were to win the World Cup? That would be for the country. You have these little visions of what might happen; if it were to come true, it would be a huge blessing.”
Toney recognizes that Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, whom he regards as “the best finisher in football,” remains the top choice for England, but he is eager to be a reliable backup.
He stated: “My role is to keep finding the back of the net and hopefully that will give me the best chance of being included.”
There were surprised reactions when Toney, then 28, transferred to Al Ahli from Brentford in the summer of 2024, and he acknowledges that a return to the Premier League could be in his future.
He remarked: “I never say never. I have goals I want to accomplish here first, but in football and in life, you can’t predict what’s around the corner. You take it day-by-day, step-by-step. I hope to achieve something significant here first, and who knows what the next step may be?”
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