The Football Association has thrown its support behind Thomas Tuchel and has no plans to sack the England manager following the country’s painful World Cup semi-final defeat, according to reports.
England's World Cup heartbreak
England were within five minutes of reaching their first World Cup final since 1966 after Anthony Gordon gave them the lead against Argentina in Atlanta. However, Tuchel’s decision to make a series of defensive substitutions came under intense scrutiny as the reigning world champions mounted a dramatic late comeback.
Enzo Fernandez fired Argentina level from distance in the 85th minute before Lautaro Martinez headed home Lionel Messi’s cross in stoppage time to complete a devastating 2-1 turnaround.
FA statement and backing for Tuchel
The defeat prompted furious criticism of Tuchel’s tactics, with former England captain Wayne Rooney among those claiming the manager’s decisions had cost his side a place in Sunday’s final against Spain. Despite the backlash, the FA has no intention of removing Tuchel from his position according to The Daily Mail.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham retains full confidence in Tuchel and issued a statement following the defeat. “It is heartbreaking to be so close,” Bullingham said. “The players and Thomas gave it everything today and the squad, coaches and staff could not have worked harder during the tournament. I would like to thank them all — and also give my heartfelt thanks to our wonderful fans here in the USA and at home. We felt your support every step of the way and we are all so disappointed not to go further.”
Tuchel's contract and future plans
The former Chelsea boss signed a two-year contract extension in February and remains committed to leading England into Euro 2028, which will be staged across England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. Tuchel also made it clear that he intends to remain in the role and lead England into the next European Championship. “We keep on going for the contract until the home Euros, and I’m looking forward to that,” he said. “Even like now, it’s difficult to look that far ahead.”
Criticism of tactical decisions
Tuchel was heavily criticised for replacing goalscorer Gordon with defender Ezri Konsa before later introducing Dan Burn and Nico O’Reilly for Reece James and Declan Rice. The changes left England with six defenders on the pitch and little attacking threat as Argentina applied wave after wave of pressure. Tuchel nevertheless rejected the suggestion that he regretted his decisions. “No, I believe that’s just the nature of the game,” he said when asked whether he had got his tactics wrong. “As soon as you lose, you get criticised. It’s just what it is. No one knows what would have happened if we made different decisions. So it makes no sense to engage in that and lose my head. I’m responsible for them. I took them, so I take the criticism.”
Tuchel's explanation and Rooney's reaction
Tuchel said England had already begun to struggle before he altered the system and insisted the changes had been designed to help his tiring players deal with Argentina’s aerial threat. “We got too passive after we scored and conceded a lot of chances,” he added. “We could not turn the ball possession around and just conceded so, so many crosses and chances and shots. We were close but couldn’t keep the level up after we scored. I have to make a decision on the pitch. I take the responsibility. No regrets in the moment. The team gave everything and we were very, very close.”
Rooney offered a far less forgiving assessment during the BBC’s coverage, claiming Tuchel’s tactical gamble had backfired. “We got ourselves in such a good position, and then we didn’t know what to do,” Rooney said. “We sat back, we allowed them to come onto us. They were creating a number of chances, then we cracked. Once we got the first goal, we didn’t look to go for the second goal. The gamble he made was to go with five at the back, which allowed them to dictate the game. The decisions Thomas Tuchel made, we have to be honest, have cost us tonight.”
Looking ahead
England captain Harry Kane said the squad must now find the “missing piece” required to convert deep tournament runs into trophies. “We had a lot of good moments in this tournament, a lot of good games,” Kane said. “Another semi-final. We talk about knocking on the door. We’re close. We just need to find that missing piece in the final stage of the tournament.”
Tuchel and his players must now prepare to face France in Saturday’s third-place play-off before turning their attention towards Euro 2028. For all the criticism surrounding the manager, the FA’s immediate position is clear: Tuchel retains the governing body’s backing and will be given the opportunity to continue.
