Thomas Tuchel to Lead England into Euro 2028 Despite World Cup Setback
Thomas Tuchel will lead England into Euro 2028 despite the storm swirling around him after the World Cup semi-final collapse against Argentina.
The 52-year-old, hired in November 2024 to push England beyond Gareth Southgate’s near-misses, retains the Football Association’s backing and is expected to stay in charge, even as criticism of his cautious instincts intensifies.
FA stands firm after semi-final heartbreak
For more than an hour in Atlanta, the plan looked close to perfect. Anthony Gordon’s strike had England on course for a first men’s World Cup final since 1966, a landmark moment within reach.
Then came the retreat.
Tuchel’s defensive changes dragged England deeper and deeper, inviting Argentina on. Pressure mounted, the game turned, and a 2-1 defeat in the closing stages reopened old scars of semi-finals and finals slipped away. The sense of history repeating itself was impossible to ignore.
The reaction was swift and unforgiving. Tuchel’s “negative decision-making” became the focal point of post-match debate, his tactical reputation suddenly on trial. Yet the FA, sources indicate, is not wavering.
Tuchel had originally been contracted only through this World Cup, but in February he signed an extension to 2028. That deal, crucially, was built around him leading England into a home European Championship.
Speaking after the Argentina loss, Tuchel did not hide from that horizon. “I have a contract until the home Euros and I’m looking forward to that even like now it is difficult to look that far ahead,” he said, acknowledging the rawness of the moment while making clear he has no intention of walking away.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham publicly backed the manager and the group after the defeat in Georgia.
“It is heartbreaking to be so close,” he 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.”
From Kansas City to a game nobody wants
England flew back to their Kansas City base still nursing the pain of a semi-final that slipped from their grasp. There is no immediate flight home, no clean break. Instead, there is one more fixture that nobody truly craves.
A third-place play-off against France awaits in Miami, at the Hard Rock Stadium where England had beaten Norway in the quarter-finals only a week earlier. It will feel like a comedown for two squads who expected to be contesting the trophy itself.
Tuchel, ever the competitor, tried to hold both truths at once.
“A lot of big, big, big football nations are eliminated before the semi-final, so, yeah, it is an achievement,” he said of reaching the last four. “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.”
That same edge, he argued, must now drive England through a match the players would rather avoid.
“The nature of being so competitive also puts the next game into perspective,” he continued. “Nobody of these (England) players, nobody of French players wants to play this match. They want to play in the final. We gave everything to be in the final.
“Everyone plays to win the World Cup, but it is what it is. We have for a day less and to recover, but we will do it professionally, of course.”
Pain now, a home Euros ahead
Inside the dressing room in Atlanta, Tuchel kept his message brief. There was no grand speech to erase the hurt.
“I didn’t say a lot (to the players afterwards),” he admitted. “Nothing what you say in the dressing room can take away the pain or the disappointment, of course.
“We all know these moments, so I said let’s take it with respect, let’s digest it first. Accept that we gave everything. That is a big part in a defeat.
“Did we do everything to arrive in this semi-final? Did we give everything? 100 per cent we did, and I think the fans will realise that and do realise that.
“The second of all is to bounce back, to react. That’s what you have to do on highest level in sports. It’s what is demanded and what we will do.”
That is the challenge now. One more game in this World Cup, one more test of character, and then a long, unforgiving inquest into how a golden opportunity slipped away.
The FA has made its call: Tuchel stays, the project continues, the home Euros remain his destination. The question is whether England, and their manager, can turn this latest scar into the edge they will need when the spotlight burns even brighter in 2028.
