Cole Blames Football Politics for Missing France 1998

England had no shortage of centre-forwards during the 1990s. Alan Shearer was already the Premier League's all-time leading scorer, while Michael Owen would later become a Ballon d'Or winner. The usual idea was simple: play well in the season before a World Cup and a call-up should follow. Selection was meant to reward form, not just a famous name. Andy Cole's omission from Glenn Hoddle's 1998 squad showed that the process could look very different.

Before the tournament in France, the 1997-98 campaign gave England hopefuls a chance to prove they belonged. Owen scored 18 Premier League goals and was picked. Chris Sutton and Dion Dublin also scored 18, but both missed out. Cole scored 15 in the league, and only one of the four highest-scoring English players in the division made the World Cup trip. His total rose to 25 across all competitions, ahead of Shearer, Sheringham and Ian Wright. Hoddle chose Owen, Sheringham, Les Ferdinand and Paul Merson as the centre-forward options. Cole later said he knew he deserved a place and laughed when he saw the final decision. He blamed football politics rather than his goal record for the omission.

Cole did not hide how strongly he felt about it. He said he had done more for Manchester United that season and pointed to his 20-plus goals for the club. He believed the numbers made his case clear. In his view, the issue was not whether he had performed well enough. It was the politics around the decision that kept him away. That was the explanation he gave for missing the tournament.

His England career offered another source of disappointment. Cole earned 15 caps and scored once. He said his debut began badly when Sheringham refused to shake his hand as he entered the field. Cole felt embarrassed and later said the moment made him not want to play. He even hit the bar during the match, but the handshake stayed on his mind. The two men then carried a feud for more than 20 years. They played together at Manchester United for four years, yet Cole said they were never on speaking terms and only talked when an argument was about to start.