After Harry Maguire received news of his Greek court conviction, the Manchester United defender could have a huge problem regarding his hopes of playing at the World Cup

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire could see his hopes of playing for England in the World Cup be blown up by his conviction from the Greek courts. Maguire, 32, was found guilty of non-serious assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery and handed a 15-month and 20 day suspended jail sentence, as well as a fine of €1,500.

The United centre-back, who denies all of the charges, will appeal the conviction to Greece’s Supreme Court in a bid to prove his innocence. His legal team have been fighting to clear his name ever since his arrest in 2020, after an altercation which took place outside a bar on the Greek island of Mykonos.

The conviction could severely impact his hopes of playing for the Three Lions at the World Cup, according to The Sun. When he makes his visa application for the tournament in the USA, Mexico and Canada, he will have to declare the conviction.

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If his appeal is accepted, Maguire will not have to do this when he applies for his visa. If it’s rejected, his chances of obtaining a visa for the competition could be affected.

The US Embassy and Consulates in the United Kingdom website states: “If you have ever been arrested, cautioned and/or convicted of an offense anywhere in the world, you are required to declare it when applying for a visa.

“In cases where an arrest resulted in a conviction, you may be permanently ineligible to receive a visa and will require a waiver ineligibility to travel to the United States.

“The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to United States visa law. Therefore, even if your arrest or conviction is considered spent, you are still require to declare it and furnish an ACRO Police Certificate when applying for a visa.”

Under the sacked Ruben Amorim this season, Maguire was either a bit-part player or was out with a thigh injury. At the start of 2026, the prospect of him competing at the World Cup was remote.

He has not appeared for his country since 2024, when interim manager Lee Carsley started him in a 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in the UEFA Nations League. He is yet to feature under current England manager Thomas Tuchel.

However, when asked about the hopes of Maguire, Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo, Tuchel said the United trio, including the ex-Leicester City man, was now in his thoughts. The German said: “It is great that [Mainoo] is back on the pitch. He is such a huge talent. He has played already a tournament from start to finish for England, so he is back in the picture, so is Luke Shaw and so is Harry [Maguire].

“There are some players suddenly back in the picture, they play a back four now and play with a different style which is a bit easier to translate to our structure at the moment. It’s good competition.”

Maguire has earned 64 caps for the Three Lions. Since Michael Carrick took charge as caretaker boss of the Reds, he has featured in the starting XI for every United fixture throughout a seven-game undefeated streak.