Tuchel begins England reset with Nations League tests

Thomas Tuchel’s next phase as England manager begins under a familiar spotlight, with the fallout from the World Cup still hanging over him as he prepares to name his squad for the opening four Nations League fixtures.

Two months on from England’s semi-final defeat to Argentina in the United States, the emotions have not faded. For some supporters, the pain is tied closely to the way the match slipped away, with Tuchel’s tactical decisions still a source of frustration. For others, that verdict ignores the broader context of a tournament in which England reached only the fourth World Cup semi-final in their history.

That split in opinion now frames the start of the build-up to Euro 2028, a tournament England will co-host. The immediate task is a Nations League schedule featuring Spain at home, Czechia home and away, and Croatia away.

A manager still feeling the heat

Tuchel has made clear in private that he is aware of the criticism. The reaction to the Argentina defeat has left him bruised and, in some respects, puzzled, particularly given how rarely England go this deep at a World Cup.

That tension is part of the job. The England role has long carried an unusual weight, with expectation often turning quickly into recrimination after defeat. It is a cycle that can shape the mood around a team as much as the results themselves, and Tuchel is now trying to move the conversation forward rather than relive the semi-final.

For England, that may be the only practical route. The next tournament cycle has already begun, and the Nations League offers an early measure of whether the team can channel the disappointment into progress.

The case for perspective

While the semi-final loss remains the defining emotional point, England’s World Cup campaign also contained evidence of resilience and growth. There was the last-16 win over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, a performance presented as one of the most stirring moments of the run. The quarter-final victory over Norway, secured after extra time, underlined the team’s ability to endure under pressure.

England also opened the group stage with a thrilling win over Croatia and later beat France in the third-place playoff, sealing their best World Cup finish since 1966. Those results help explain why not everyone shares the bleakest reading of the tournament.

There is also the memory of a major scare against the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the last 32, when England were behind with 15 minutes to go before Harry Kane’s two goals turned the tie around. Internally, that comeback appears to have reinforced belief in both the squad’s character and Tuchel’s influence from the touchline.

FA backing remains firm

Whatever the outside noise, the Football Association’s position is clear. It remains fully supportive of Tuchel and does not view the semi-final finish as a failure that should have put his future in doubt.

The FA’s confidence is rooted not only in the final placing but also in what it saw during the tournament: effective in-game adjustments, a strong collective spirit and a sense of togetherness within the squad. Tuchel has spoken about the brotherhood among the players, and that appears to have carried real weight behind the scenes.

• England reached the World Cup semi-finals for only the fourth time in their history.
• They later beat France in the third-place playoff.
• Their Nations League fixtures are against Spain, Czechia and Croatia.
• Euro 2028 will be co-hosted by England.

Nations League now takes centre stage

The challenge for Tuchel is not to win every argument about the past, but to shape the next chapter convincingly enough that the debate begins to soften. A positive start in the Nations League would help, especially against opponents who offer different kinds of tests.

England’s manager cannot control every reaction to the Argentina defeat, and perhaps neither he nor the FA should try. What he can control is the tone of the next camp, the clarity of his selections and the response of a squad that showed enough at the World Cup to suggest this story is not defined by one painful night alone.