Will England Dismiss Thomas Tuchel After World Cup Semifinal Loss to Argentina?
England's excitement over reaching the World Cup semifinal for the first time since 1966 was short-lived. Fans pointed fingers at Thomas Tuchel after the team lost a 1-0 lead late in the game against defending champions Argentina. Lionel Messi's two assists led to Argentina scoring twice after the 84th minute, forcing England into the third-place match.
England came into the tournament with hopes of winning the trophy. Even though they fell to one of the best teams globally, frustration grew because tactical choices and management appeared to play a big role in their defeat. Calls to remove Tuchel have surged among supporters.
Is Tuchel's Job in Danger?
There is no official sign that England plans to fire Tuchel after the 2-1 loss. Still, many fans were unhappy with his first World Cup appearance as the national team manager. Tuchel admitted after the match to the BBC that the team became too passive once they scored, conceding many chances and losing control of possession.
"We got too passive after we scored and conceded a lot of chances. We could not turn ball possession around and conceded so many crosses and shots," Tuchel said. "We couldn't keep the level up after we scored. We couldn't get out. Of course we wanted to go for the second goal. It was not a structural problem, we changed nothing after the goal."
Mike Keegan, Daily Mail Sports chief reporter, shared that Tuchel still enjoys full support from the Football Association and will remain as head coach through the 2028 European Championship.
England's Tournament Performance Under Scrutiny
England began the tournament with a 4-2 win over Croatia but struggled afterward. Their next match ended in a goalless draw against Ghana, and a 2-0 victory over Panama required a late breakthrough goal. Knockout rounds proved challenging: they trailed DR Congo until late in the match and needed two goals from Jude Bellingham to overcome Norway in the quarterfinals.
Against Argentina, Tuchel waited until the 72nd minute to make a defensive substitution. When Argentina scored their first goal, England shifted to five defenders. Fans debated whether this switch came too early or too late, but most agreed it was a flawed decision.
"I did also offensive substitutions in the last games, we just tried to help the players," Tuchel explained on Fox Sports. "We conceded [a chance] straight away and we decided to go to a back five because the gaps were far too open."
Tuchel's Record with England
Since taking over in December 2024, Tuchel's record with England stands at 16 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses. The most recent defeat before Argentina was a 1-0 loss on March 31. Despite the setback, the FA appears committed to him for now.
