Gareth Southgate, the former manager of the England national football team, is scheduled to attend the World Cup final this weekend in New Jersey. This comes despite England's recent elimination from the tournament following a semi-final loss to Argentina.
England's hopes of reaching the final were dashed on Thursday when they lost 2-1 to Argentina. The team will now compete in a third-place play-off against France. Southgate, who managed England from 2016 until his resignation in 2024, had a trip to the final planned for several weeks and is expected to speak at a private gathering before the match.
His attendance at the final would have occurred even if England had advanced to face Spain. Southgate has been a sought-after speaker for private events since stepping down from his national team duties. He was also approached about potential punditry roles for the World Cup but declined, stating a desire to remain out of the spotlight, though he did share a video wishing the team good luck.
During his tenure, Southgate led England to a World Cup semi-final and two European Championship finals. He has not publicly addressed criticisms from current England boss Thomas Tuchel, who suggested the team was more fearful of elimination than driven to win, and that Southgate left the team lacking a distinct identity.
England will be watching the final from afar after their match against France. Tuchel described the third-place play-off as a game no one wants to play, emphasizing that his players, like their French counterparts, would have preferred to be in the final. He acknowledged the team's professionalism despite the disappointment and the disadvantage of having one less day of recovery than France.
Reflecting on the loss to Argentina, Tuchel noted that external structures would not have helped the team in that moment. He described England as being too passive, not physical enough, and failing to stop opposition runners, attributing these issues to a national problem rather than solely his own management.