England manager Thomas Tuchel has called on his players to finish the World Cup strongly in an emotional address to the squad after their semi-final defeat by Argentina. The team returned to their base in Kansas City for two final training sessions ahead of Saturday's bronze-medal match against France.
Tuchel encouraged his players to move past their disappointment and secure a strong finish to the tournament. If England defeats France in Miami, it would mark their best men's World Cup performance since winning the tournament in 1966. Tuchel also expressed pride in the team's journey to their fourth World Cup semi-final in history.
The relationship between the 52-year-old German manager and his players has been a point of discussion since Argentina's 2-1 victory, which featured two late goals. BBC Sport reported that some key players were disappointed with tactical instructions during the closing stages of the match after Anthony Gordon had given England the lead.
Tuchel had reverted to a back-five formation and made defensive substitutions as Lionel Messi inspired Argentina's comeback with assists for Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez's winning goal in the 92nd minute. However, the England head coach has appeared to dispute the notion that the defensive shift was solely due to his directives, stating in British newspapers that it was not the plan to drop deeper and suggesting it might not be in the team's DNA to control the game in that manner.
Tuchel is expected to address the team's tactical approach against Argentina during the pre-match press conference for the France game, scheduled for Saturday. The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager signed a two-year contract extension in February, having been appointed in January 2025 with the goal of winning the 2026 World Cup. He is understood to retain the backing of the Football Association and is anticipated to lead the team into the 2028 European Championship, which England, Wales, Scotland, and the Republic of Ireland are set to co-host.