Despite achieving England's best-ever World Cup performance on foreign soil, this international break feels like a pivotal moment in Thomas Tuchel's tenure. Tuchel signed a contract extension in February that will take him through Euro 2028, and he still has the full support of his bosses at the Football Association. The governing body is still conducting a full review of England's 2026 World Cup, which is standard practice after every major competition, but it is understood that, overall, his bosses have deemed the third-placed finish a success.
Nevertheless, widespread anger remains among some England supporters over the tactical decisions made during the semi-final defeat to Argentina, and - perhaps more significantly - the German coach also has to win back the full support of some key senior England players. Sky Sports News reported on the eve of the third-place play-off match in New Jersey in July that several players were bemused and disappointed by Tuchel's decision to go hyper-defensive in the closing stages of the semi-final, when England were a goal up, before eventually losing 2-1 with Lionel Messi dominating the game. In the aftermath, Tuchel denied that was his instruction, and suggested instead that the players had retreated too deep, against his wishes.
The manager's public comments added to the anger of some in the squad, who felt hurt by the suggestion that it might not be in their "DNA", as Englishmen, to retain the ball under pressure. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player In Atlanta, with their World Cup dream over and players getting on the team coach, there was a feeling that their own coach had thrown them under the proverbial bus. So Tuchel's job now is to win over some players and a large group of supporters who, until that semi-final, had fully believed in him ever since he took over the reins in January 2025.
Tuchel has been immensely popular with the large group of England players he has worked with in the past 18 months, and the "brotherhood" he talked about at the World Cup was real and defining. The mood in camp stayed positive throughout, with Tuchel and his assistant Anthony Barry right in the middle of it. It's what propelled England to their highest finish since 1966.
Throughout the tournament, the players had nothing but praise for Tuchel. But the nature of the defeat to Argentina, and the coach's public criticism of the players in the aftermath, has certainly weakened him and, as such, he needs to win the hearts and minds of those inside the camp and those watching from the stands. A perfect opportunity awaits then against the reigning world and European champions.
Victory would give Tuchel an eye-catching feather in his cap and suggest it is likely England could win silverware next summer, now they are back in the top division of the Nations League. It would also vindicate Tuchel's methods, silence some of his critics, and renew belief in the squad going forward. Defeat would have the opposite effect.
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