Thomas Tuchel’s tenure as England manager has been defined by a singular, ambitious goal: to win the 2026 World Cup in North America. The Football Association (FA) made this expectation clear upon his appointment in October 2024, tasking the German coach with ending England’s “agonising 60 years of hurt” without a major men’s trophy.

FA CEO Mark Bullingham articulated the mandate, stating, “Fundamentally we wanted to hire a coaching team to give us the best possible chance of winning a major tournament, and we believe they will do just that. Thomas and the team have a single-minded focus on giving us the best possible chance to win the World Cup in 2026.” Tuchel himself echoed this sentiment in his first press conference, declaring, “The target is nothing else but the biggest one in world football.”

Tuchel’s initial 18-month contract, running until the end of the 2026 World Cup, was extended in February to Euro 2028 after a historic qualification campaign. England secured eight wins from eight matches, remarkably without conceding a single goal. However, the team’s performance against higher-ranked opposition has raised eyebrows. Under Tuchel, England remains winless against top-20 FIFA nations, having lost to Senegal in June 2025 and subsequently drawing with Uruguay and losing to Japan in March friendlies. Notably, England has yet to face a country in the top 10 of FIFA’s world rankings. Pre-tournament friendlies against New Zealand and Costa Rica are scheduled before the World Cup officially kicks off on June 11.

Divisive squad selection for North America

The most significant talking point surrounding Tuchel’s preparations has been his 26-man squad selection, described by Goal.com UK as one of the country’s most divisive tournament squads of all time. Tuchel’s philosophy, emphasizing “team over talent” and building a “brotherhood,” appears to be at the heart of his controversial decisions.

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Among the high-profile omissions are:

Harry Maguire

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Adam Wharton

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Cole Palmer (who provided an assist in the Euro 2024 semi-final and a goal in the final)

Phil Foden

Morgan Gibbs-White

Conversely, several inclusions have sparked debate:

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Dan Burn

Jarell Quansah

Djed Spence

Jordan Henderson

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Ivan Toney

Addressing the criticism, Tuchel defended his choices: “From day one we were clear we were trying to build the best possible team, which is not necessarily the 26 most talented players. Teams win championships – and what we’re trying to achieve can only be achieved as a team. We have players ready and committed to the idea of team spirit and being unselfish. We have specialists for different scenarios – when we’re leading, when we’re chasing a result. We have always said we want to be a strong set-piece team, so we have specialists for that and we want to be a strong penalty team, we have specialists for that.”

Tuchel’s track record and the road ahead

Tuchel arrives with a decorated CV, having won league titles in France and Germany. His cup pedigree includes leading Borussia Dortmund to the DFB-Pokal final in 2016 and winning it in 2017, lifting the Coupe de France with Paris Saint-Germain, and guiding PSG to their first-ever Champions League final in 2020. Most notably, he steered Chelsea to four finals out of five cups, clinching the Champions League in 2021, despite losing the 2021 FA Cup final to Leicester City and both the 2022 FA and Carabao Cup finals to Liverpool on penalties.

For the upcoming tournament, Tuchel acknowledges the fine margins involved. He recently remarked on the need for “a bit of luck,” a “selection right,” to “stay healthy,” “catch momentum,” “build a brotherhood,” “play with courage, hunger,” and “take advantage of special moments.” He added that “once we go hopefully to knockout football it’s a game of margins. It won’t be done without nerves of steel.” With the FA’s clear directive to win the World Cup, Tuchel’s tactical acumen and controversial squad will be under intense scrutiny as England embarks on its campaign.

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Sources: www.goal.com