Tuchel: England played one of their best matches despite Argentina defeat

England manager Thomas Tuchel shouldered the blame for his side's semifinal exit against Argentina at the 2026 World Cup, but insisted the team deserved more from the game. Speaking after the loss, the German coach took full responsibility for the decisions he made during the match. "You can discuss it with a million coaches, but I have to make decisions in real time. I've analyzed the game and I acted the way I did. So it's completely on me," Tuchel said. Still, he does not regret his choices, stressing that the team performed at an exceptionally high level. "Right now I regret nothing. The team gave everything. We were so close. We deserved to be leading 1-0." Tuchel described the semifinal as one of England's best performances of the tournament — possibly the best given the circumstances. "Considering everything, we played one of our best matches. We couldn't get over the line, but I have no regrets." He also highlighted the character of his players, who faced numerous challenges throughout the tournament: strong group-stage opponents, long travel distances, high-altitude conditions, playing a man down, and extreme heat. England will now face France in the third-place match, scheduled for the night of July 18-19.