England coach Thomas Tuchel has voiced strong dissatisfaction with FIFA, claiming a “wall of 50 photographers” obstructed his view of his squad during the national anthem before England’s opening World Cup match against Croatia. The incident, which Tuchel described as having “ruined” his experience, occurred ahead of England’s 4-2 victory at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Wednesday.
Tuchel, who has previously hinted he might sing “God Save the King” if England reaches the World Cup final, expressed his profound disappointment at missing what he considered a pivotal moment. His first experience of the anthem at a World Cup was overshadowed by the positioning of media personnel just metres from the England bench.
“I have to tell you something, I am begging FIFA to change the position of the photographers in the national anthem because I could not see my team in the national anthem,” Tuchel told Metro. “I was waiting for this moment. It was a very, very special moment today and I was standing in front of a wall of 50 photographers, half a metre away, and I could not see one single player and it ruined a little bit my experience today.”
England’s second-half surge
Despite the pre-match frustration, Tuchel’s England side delivered a strong performance on the pitch. Harry Kane netted a double, while Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford added second-half goals to secure a convincing 4-2 win over Croatia. The victory marked a positive start to their World Cup campaign, though Croatia had managed to score a second equaliser just before the break, making for a complicated first half.
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Tuchel lauded his team’s response after the interval. He praised their reaction to a challenging opening period, highlighting the maturity and determination shown to take control of the game in the second half. For the coach, who described his career trajectory as “too big to dream of” when he started, the World Cup represents the pinnacle of his coaching aspirations, making the anthem moment particularly poignant.
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