Thomas Tuchel to Lead England into Euro 2028 After World Cup Setback

Thomas Tuchel will lead England into Euro 2028 despite the storm swirling around him after a brutal World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina.

The 52-year-old, appointed in November 2024 to succeed Gareth Southgate, has come under fierce fire for the way England let a place in the final slip in Atlanta. Anthony Gordon’s goal had them on the brink of a first men’s World Cup final since 1966. Then came the retreat.

Tuchel’s switch to protect the lead, his defence-first tweaks and deeper line, invited Argentina on. England shrank towards their own box, pressure mounted, and the game turned. A late 2-1 defeat, and with it a familiar sense of opportunity wasted.

The tactical choices have triggered an intense backlash, but the Football Association is standing firm. The Press Association understands Tuchel retains the FA’s full backing and is expected to stay in charge through the next cycle.

FA backs Tuchel through the fury

Tuchel’s original contract only ran to the end of this World Cup. In February, though, he signed an extension to 2028, a deal built on the expectation he would front England’s home European Championship.

He has no intention of walking away.

“I have a contract until the home Euros and I’m looking forward to that even like now it is difficult to look that far ahead,” he said after the Argentina loss, his words measured but the hurt obvious.

The squad flew back to their Kansas City base after the defeat in Georgia, where FA chief executive Mark Bullingham moved quickly to publicly reinforce the manager’s position.

“It is heartbreaking to be so close,” Bullingham said. “The players and Thomas gave it everything today and the squad, coaches and staff could not have worked harder during the tournament.

“I would like to thank them all – and also give my heartfelt thanks to our wonderful fans here in the USA and at home. We felt your support every step of the way and we are all so disappointed not to go further.”

The message was clear: no panic, no snap decisions. Tuchel stays.

A semi-final, and a hollow achievement

Strip away the raw emotion and the record shows England reached another World Cup semi-final. For some nations, that would be cause for celebration. For this group, in this era, it feels like the bare minimum.

“A lot of big, big, big football nations are eliminated before the semi-final, so, yeah, it is an achievement,” Tuchel said, before quickly acknowledging the mood. “No one wants to hear that at the moment. Me neither, because we demand the most of ourselves. That’s just the nature of being competitive.”

The nature of elite competition also means there is no time to wallow. England’s tournament is not over. Not yet.

They head back to Miami, to the Hard Rock Stadium where they beat Norway in the quarter-final, for a third-place play-off against France. It will feel like a comedown for everyone involved.

“Nobody of these players, nobody of French players wants to play this match,” Tuchel admitted. “They want to play in the final. We gave everything to be in the final.

“Everyone plays to win the World Cup, but it is what it is. We have for a day less and to recover, but we will do it professionally, of course.”

Pain now, Euros later

In the dressing room after Argentina, Tuchel kept it brief. There are no magic words for this kind of defeat.

“I didn’t say a lot,” he said. “Nothing what you say in the dressing room can take away the pain or the disappointment, of course.

“We all know these moments, so I said let’s take it with respect, let’s digest it first. Accept that we gave everything. That is a big part in a defeat.

“Did we do everything to arrive in this semi-final? Did we give everything? 100 per cent we did, and I think the fans will realise that and do realise that.

“The second of all is to bounce back, to react. That’s what you have to do on highest level in sports. It’s what is demanded and what we will do.”

For now, that reaction starts with a game nobody truly wants, against a France side nursing the same sense of what might have been. Beyond that lies something far more significant: a home Euros, a manager under the microscope, and an England team that has grown used to getting close.

Tuchel has the FA’s trust and four more years. The question is whether he can turn England from nearly men into champions on home soil.