World Cup: English FA backs Tuchel despite semi-final loss

The English Football Association has publicly backed head coach Thomas Tuchel, despite the national team's 2-1 loss to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup semi-final. The defeat ended England's hopes of reaching their first men's World Cup final since 1966.

“

It is heartbreaking to be so close. The players and Thomas gave it everything today and the squad, coaches and staff could not have worked harder during the tournament.

Despite some criticism regarding Tuchel's late-game substitutions, the FA stands firmly behind the German coach. He is expected to continue in his role through UEFA Euro 2028. Tuchel had previously signed a two-year contract extension in February, following his appointment in January 2025 with the initial goal of securing World Cup glory.

England is now set to compete against France in the third-place play-off. A victory in this match would secure their best men's World Cup performance since they won the tournament in 1966. FA Chief Executive Mark Bullingham expressed his support for Tuchel and the team, acknowledging the pain of the semi-final loss but thanking everyone involved for their efforts.

“

We keep on going with the contract until the home Euros. I’m looking forward to that even though right now it’s difficult to look that far ahead.

Tuchel himself remains committed to leading England into the Euro 2028 tournament, which the nation will co-host with Wales, Scotland, and the Republic of Ireland. "We keep on going with the contract until the home Euros," he stated, acknowledging the current difficulty in looking ahead but recognizing the achievement of reaching the semi-finals. The FA views England's run to the last four as a positive step under Tuchel's management as they focus on building towards the home European Championship.

“

Of course, it’s a semi-final; a lot of big football nations are eliminated before the semi-final, so it is an achievement. No-one wants to hear that at the moment; me neither because we demand the most of ourselves. That’s just the nature of being competitive.