Local time on July 9, The Athletic reported that although Henderson was injured, he was still valuable to the England team in this FIFA World Cup, and he would not be a mere "cheerleader" cheering from the sidelines. He was important for fostering team spirit and establishing the right team culture.

Here's TA's analysis:

This will be a question in future football prediction shows: Which England player, in a thrilling FIFA World Cup victory, received a yellow card without playing a single minute and was stretchered off?

Privately, Henderson must be frustrated by this bizarre injury he suffered.

In the round of 16 of this summer's FIFA World Cup, England defeated Mexico 3-2 in a breathtaking match. After the game, Henderson and his teammates went to the stands together and celebrated the victory by singing Oasis's classic song "Wonderwall" in front of the fans.

However, when he climbed over the advertising hoardings by the pitch to return to the field, he landed awkwardly, resulting in a fractured left arm.

The sight of Henderson falling in pain and receiving treatment cast a shadow over the celebratory mood that had just ignited among England players and staff.

He will be unable to continue participating in this FIFA World Cup. And considering he is already 36 years old, it is reasonable to speculate that he may never again play in a FIFA World Cup.

However, when it was confirmed on Wednesday that Henderson had returned to England's training base in Kansas City and would remain with Tuchel's squad to pursue the championship dream, there was no surprise.

Earlier that day, he had successfully undergone surgery at the Orthopedic Institute of Kansas City. As always, Henderson's social media post after the surgery did not dwell on self-pity or mention his huge personal disappointment.

Instead, he first thanked the medical team that helped him and sent an morale-boosting message before England's quarter-final against Norway: "Let's prepare for this big battle on Saturday."

Historical records will show that Henderson only played a total of 6 minutes in the 2026 FIFA World Cup – he came on as a substitute in the final stages of England's 2-0 group stage victory over Panama, replacing Harvey Elliott.

But his contribution in his seventh international tournament went far beyond those brief 6 minutes. This is why, as the tournament enters a more critical stage, Tuchel will be glad he remains with the team.

Henderson is one of the team's important leaders. The England coach believes he is crucial for team spirit, playing standards, and establishing the right team culture.

When Tuchel announced the 26-man squad in late May, Henderson's inclusion was criticized, with some arguing that England should look to the future and select Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton.

In the eyes of some, Henderson was merely a "senior cheerleader." But this assessment is unfair because it overlooks the fact that:

Tuchel chose Henderson primarily based on his club performance, and also because he believed Henderson's extensive experience could help England control the game and maintain their advantage. Tuchel also knew that Henderson would accept his role in the team and would not be dissatisfied with a lack of playing time. From an external perspective, it's easy to underestimate the value this former Liverpool captain can bring.

But the evaluations of some players within the England squad reveal a completely different side.

In the England internal program "Lions' Den" before England's first FIFA World Cup match against Croatia, Bellingham and Morgan Rogers both spoke highly of Henderson.

Bellingham said: "He's hilarious. He makes everyone laugh. If there's any issue, like if you're 22, 23, and you're not sure whether to deal with it, he'll deal with it for you. If there's a conflict between two people, he'll bring them back together. He's not individualistic when it comes to supporting the team. He's a captain who has won the Champions League, and he's a captain who has won the Premier League. Every day in training, he constantly strives for improvement and pushes others to be better. He raises the intensity of the team's training."

Rogers described Henderson as: "The best person I've met in football."

The Aston Villa midfielder added: "If you ask everyone to close their eyes and rank who they'd most want in the England camp, he'd be in everyone's top five."

Henderson is very close to Bellingham and has always been very protective of the young star.

Notably, in this FIFA World Cup, Real Madrid star Bellingham has truly integrated into the team's overall philosophy.

He scored a brace against Mexico, becoming a key contributor to the team's victory.

In the "Lions' Den" program, Bellingham also recalled the problems England faced before losing to Spain in the 2024 European Championship.

He said: "At the time, it felt like there wasn't really a hierarchy within the team. I think during the European Championship, we didn't handle some things off the pitch well enough. I don't think that team was as closely connected as it could have been."

On Wednesday, at a press conference at England's Kansas City base, Rogers said he expected Henderson to be in Miami to support the match against Norway, and that he could still play a role.

Rogers said: "I think you'll see him in some capacity on Saturday. He always puts his personal feelings aside and puts the team first. No matter what happens, he always prioritizes us and tries to help every player in the best way possible. Whether it's communication or actual play, people forget what kind of player he is, and they forget what he has achieved in the world of football. A lot of things people don't see or have forgotten. Also, his performance in training, his standards, and his motivation, all of these influence everyone around him and make us a better team. To see him back with the team so quickly and back to his usual self, it's the best thing for the whole team."

Henderson was one of the senior players excluded from the 2024 European Championship squad by Gareth Southgate, and then overlooked by interim coach Lee Carsley, his England career seemingly over at one point.

However, when Tuchel took over the England team in early 2025, he found that Henderson's name kept coming up in his conversations with players and staff. Everyone repeatedly emphasized his influence and the respect he commanded within the team. When Tuchel first called up Henderson in March 2025, he described the then-Ajax midfielder as: "A serial winner, the glue in every team. He represents everything we want to build."

As Tuchel got to know Henderson better, his admiration for him grew. Rice and Anderson had firmly occupied the two midfield positions behind Bellingham, so Henderson was already unlikely to get a starting spot in this FIFA World Cup.

And on the bench, there were options like Kobbie Mainoo and Eberechi Eze. Therefore, losing Henderson as a playing option would not significantly impact England's pursuit of the FIFA World Cup.

But even with his left arm in a cast after surgery, Henderson still has a role to play. He never considered leaving the team early. As long as England is still playing, he will continue to do what he has always done: offer advice to younger players who look up to him; alleviate team pressure; lighten the mood at appropriate times; and help teammates stay focused.

Rogers said on Wednesday: "He's kind of the heartbeat of the group. To see him this morning still smiling, still happy like he always is, no matter what's happened in the last 48 hours, that's huge for us."

This is not how Henderson wanted his last FIFA World Cup experience to unfold.

But for Tuchel and the England team, he remains an important asset.

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