Thomas Tuchel to Lead England into Euro 2028 After World Cup Heartbreak

Thomas Tuchel will lead England into Euro 2028 despite the World Cup heartbreak that has left his tactics under heavy fire.

The 52-year-old, appointed in November 2024 to replace Gareth Southgate, retains the backing of the Football Association after the semi-final collapse against Argentina in Atlanta, where a place in England’s first men’s World Cup final since 1966 slipped away in the final minutes.

For a while, it looked like the story would be very different.

Anthony Gordon’s strike had England in front and on course to finally clear the hurdle that Southgate’s sides could never quite manage, after his near misses in two European Championship finals and a World Cup semi-final. England were compact, controlled, and in command.

Then came the turn.

Tuchel’s changes tightened England’s shape but loosened their grip. Defence-first substitutions invited Argentina on, the momentum swung, and the semi-final unravelled into a late 2-1 defeat that felt painfully familiar. The manner of the loss, as much as the result, has intensified scrutiny of the German’s decision-making on the biggest stage.

Inside the FA, though, there is no appetite for upheaval.

Tuchel’s original contract covered only this World Cup, but he signed an extension in February that runs through to 2028. The plan remains unchanged: he is expected to stay and lead England into a home Euros.

“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,” Tuchel said after the Argentina defeat, speaking through the rawness of the night.

Back at England’s Kansas City base, the mood was sombre but defiant. FA chief executive Mark Bullingham publicly backed the manager and the group.

“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.”

There is no immediate escape from the tournament, or from the disappointment. England must now drag themselves to Miami, back to the Hard Rock Stadium where they beat Norway in the quarter-final, for a third-place play-off against France that nobody truly wants.

Tuchel did not pretend otherwise.

“Nobody of these (England) players, nobody of French players wants to play this match,” he admitted. “They want to play in the final. We gave everything to be in the final.”

He did, though, underline the scale of what England had still achieved in reaching the last four.

“A lot of big, big, big football nations are eliminated before the semi-final, so, yeah, it is an achievement,” he said. “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.”

The nature of that competitiveness now demands a response. England have one day fewer than France to recover, but Tuchel insisted the approach will remain professional, even in a game that feels like a comedown.

“We have for a day less and to recover, but we will do it professionally, of course,” he said.

In the dressing room in Georgia, words were kept to a minimum. There is only so much a speech can do when a World Cup final has vanished in the closing stages.

“I didn’t say a lot (to the players afterwards),” Tuchel said. “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.”

The inquest over his substitutions will run well beyond the third-place play-off. So will the debate over whether this generation can finally turn near-misses into trophies. Tuchel, for now, has his answer from the FA: he will be the man trusted to find out at Euro 2028.