Tuchel to lead England at home Euro 2028 after World Cup exit
Thomas Tuchel will remain as England head coach through the 2028 home European Championship, providing crucial stability after a dramatic World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina that ended the nation's bid to reach a first final since 1966.
England lost 2-1 to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final in Atlanta. Anthony Gordon put England ahead before late goals from Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez sealed a remarkable comeback for the holders inside seven minutes.
Despite the collapse, Thomas Tuchel confirmed he will remain in post through Euro 2028. The manager, appointed in January 2025, extended his initial deal earlier this year. The upcoming tournament, co-hosted by England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, is a flagship public event for the region. "We keep on going with the contract until the home Euros," Tuchel said. "I'm looking forward to that even though right now it's difficult to look that far ahead."
The immediate aftermath was dominated by the tactical failure that cost England the match. Captain Harry Kane admitted the team's approach faltered after taking the lead. "Once we went 1-0 up we seemed to just try and hold on which at this level is just not enough, so I'm gutted," Kane said.
Kane noted that while the coaching staff urged the team to push for a second goal, England increasingly retreated. This invited sustained Argentine pressure that ultimately broke the defence down. "After the goal, whether they were putting more men forward or us not being able to match them man-to-man, it was just wave after wave," he said. "The lads were putting blocks in but in the end it was not enough."
Tuchel attempted to frame the semi-final appearance as a sign of progress, noting that reaching the last four is an achievement many established footballing nations fail to match. "In itself it's an achievement, of course it's a semi-final," Tuchel said. "It is an achievement, no one wants to hear that at the moment, me neither, because we demand the most of ourselves."
England must now quickly regroup for a third-place play-off against France in Miami on Saturday, with a day less to recover than their opponents. "None of our players or none of the French players want to play in this match," Tuchel said. "The thing for us is to bounce back and react. That's what you have to do at the highest level of sport and that we will do."
