Wayne Rooney Backs Thomas Tuchel Despite World Cup Defeat

Wayne Rooney believes the Football Association should stay the course with Thomas Tuchel – unless the most ambitious move of all suddenly opens up.

In Rooney’s eyes, England already have one of the elite coaches in world football. There is only one man he would consider an upgrade.

“If Pep is available, then maybe you go and get him,” Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show, making it clear that only former Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola should tempt the FA away from Tuchel.

Tuchel backed after semi-final heartbreak

Tuchel’s position has come under scrutiny since England’s 2-1 defeat to Argentina in Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final, a night when a 1-0 lead slipped away late on and his substitutions drew heavy criticism.

Despite the fallout, the FA has stood behind the German, who has already signalled his intention to stay on and lead the Three Lions into Euro 2028. Tuchel signed a two-year contract extension in February, extending the 18-month deal he agreed when he was appointed in January 2025 with a clear brief: win the World Cup.

That mission fell agonisingly short, and the debate has raged ever since. Rooney, though, sees the bigger picture.

“I think he is a top-class manager and what the top managers do, they learn from the mistakes and they improve and get better,” he said.

‘Who is better than Tuchel – apart from Guardiola?’

Rooney’s support is not blind. It is rooted in a simple question: if you sack Tuchel, who actually comes next?

“If we sack him, what managers are we going to bring in? And I don’t think there’s anyone out there who’s as good as Thomas Tuchel, unless Guardiola,” he argued.

The FA, of course, already tested the Guardiola route. They approached him before turning to Tuchel, with reports of a verbal agreement in place that never quite turned into a signature. That history only sharpens Rooney’s stance: if Guardiola suddenly re-enters the market and is willing, you try again. If not, you stick.

World Cup lessons and a ‘strange’ contract call

Rooney did highlight one key concern: Tuchel’s lack of World Cup experience going into the tournament.

“But the big thing for me is he’s not experienced at World Cups. We had the exact same with [Fabio] Capello,” he said. “The World Cup is different and you need to feel that environment and now he’s felt it.”

That experience, painful as it was, now becomes part of Tuchel’s armour. The learning curve has been brutal, but real.

Rooney also questioned the timing of the FA’s decision to extend Tuchel’s contract before a ball was kicked in the World Cup.

“I think the FA told us that Thomas Tuchel was coming in to win the World Cup and take us to the next level,” he said. “It’s a little bit strange if its priority was to win the World Cup, but then you get a two-year contract before you actually go to the World Cup. That’s a bit strange.”

So the picture is clear. Rooney sees flaws in the process, doubts in the planning, and questions over timing. But when it comes to the man in the dugout, his view is blunt.

Unless the FA can prise Pep Guardiola into an England tracksuit, Thomas Tuchel, battle-scarred from a World Cup semi-final, is still their best bet.