The elimination of England in the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup left multiple questions about Thomas Tuchel's approach, especially after his team gave up the ball in the final stretch and allowed Argentina's comeback.

Despite the criticism, the German strategist made it clear that he would not change the decisions he made during the match and defended the performance of his players.

Thomas Tuchel supports his strategy despite the defeat

After the final whistle, Thomas Tuchel assured that he has no reason to regret the plan he executed against Argentina, although he acknowledged that the outcome was painful.

"I don't regret anything. The team gave everything and we were very, very close. I think we deserved to win one to zero. We played one of our best games, perhaps the best given the circumstances. The team was ten. We couldn't close it out."

The English team lost 2-1 after receiving goals from Enzo Fernández in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martínez in the 90 2, a result that qualified Argentina for the final of the 2026 World Cup.

The coach recognizes that England lost control of the match

For Thomas Tuchel, the breaking point came after the English goal, when the team stopped controlling possession and allowed the rival to grow offensively.

"We are disappointed. We were very close, but we became too passive after scoring; we conceded many chances and could not reverse possession of the ball. From there, we just conceded a lot of crosses, chances and shots. We were close, but we could not maintain the level after our goal."

Tuchel explains the defensive changes

The coach explained that the modifications sought to protect the advantage, although in the end they did not give the expected result.

"We were just trying to help the players. We conceded a goal right away. We decided to go to a five-back line because the lines were too far apart. They won all the headed balls, they kept hanging crosses over and over again."

The strategist also assumed responsibility for the outcome: "Of course the responsibility lies with the coach. If things don't go well, it's easy to say it was a mistake."

The coach highlights England's effort during the World Cup

Beyond the elimination, Thomas Tuchel highlighted the physical exhaustion and conditions that his team faced throughout the 2026 World Cup.

The coach highlighted that the group traveled long distances, played matches in different venues in the United States and Mexico, in addition to adapting to scenarios with different climatic and altitude conditions.

England thinks about France and Euro 2028

Although the possibility of fighting for the title is over, England will still play the match for third place against France, a commitment that, the coach himself acknowledged, no footballer wants to play.

"None of our players, nor the French, wants to play this consolation match. They are all playing to win the World Cup. We will have one less day to recover, but we will face it with total professionalism."

Finally, Thomas Tuchel made it clear that he is already looking towards the next big goal with the English team.

“We will continue with our contract until the Euro Cup at home, and I really want to face it, although right now it is difficult to look that far ahead,” said the strategist, whose link with England remains until Euro 2028, which will be held at Wembley.