Kobbie Mainoo didn’t play a single minute in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup for England. That’s a wild sentence to type given how the guy finished the Premier League season. But it’s true. And it’s also a reminder that the kid’s trajectory at Manchester United has been anything but smooth.
Under Ruben Amorim, Mainoo was a bench warmer. The numbers don’t lie. He started maybe a handful of games before the new year and looked like another academy talent who’d get lost in the shuffle of a club in chaos. Then United fired Amorim in January, handed the keys to Michael Carrick, and everything flipped.
Carrick put Mainoo back in the starting XI almost immediately. The 21-year-old started 16 of 17 league matches under him. United climbed to third in the table. That’s not a coincidence.
What Thiago Sees in Mainoo’s Game
Thiago Alcantara sat down with Rio Ferdinand recently and they talked about Mainoo for a solid stretch. Rio went first, saying he loves the kid’s game. Thiago didn’t hesitate.
“I love it too,” he said.
Then Thiago got specific. He doesn’t see Mainoo as a No. 10. Doesn’t see him as a pure defensive mid either. He sees an 8. A box-to-box midfielder who can do a bit of everything without being tied to one role.
“He’s capable to defend, to be aggressive, but then with the ball he’s able to help the defenders to bring the ball to the place that will decide the game,” Thiago explained. “He’s able to dribble, to arrive to the ball, to score goals.”
Thiago also pointed out the one thing Mainoo still struggles with — doing too much. Young players get excited. They want to make the highlight play every time. Thiago said that’s normal for a kid his age, but it’s something Mainoo will grow out of.
Why Amorim’s Benching Looks Worse Now
It’s hard not to look back at Amorim’s decision to sideline Mainoo and wonder what the hell he was thinking. United’s midfield looked disjointed all fall. Then Carrick plugged Mainoo in and suddenly the team had a guy who could carry the ball through pressure, drop between the center backs to start attacks, and still get into the box to finish chances.
INEOS is already hunting for a long-term partner for Mainoo this summer. They want someone who can sit deeper and let Mainoo roam. That tells you everything about how the front office views him now.
Mainoo signed a new deal back in April, so he’s locked in for the foreseeable future. The World Cup snub stings, but it’s not the end of the world. If he keeps playing like he did under Carrick, England won’t be able to leave him home next time.
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