Tuchel: The first half against France was brilliant and the second half very difficult

The head coach of the England national team, Thomas Tuchel, commented in the match for the third place of the 2026 World Cup against France (6:4). "We had a brilliant first half and a very difficult second half. You could see the difference in the players' physical condition with an extra day's rest - we were very tired and exhausted after the last few weeks. Huge praise and deep respect for the spirit we showed in overcoming all the difficulties. I was afraid of physical exertion, because we know the level and speed of the French. They had one day more to prepare for the semi-finals, and they had to cover a much shorter distance than us. We played in the heat, at altitude and in all sorts of other conditions. I was worried and the cramps and fatigue were visible in the second half. But I was never worried about the mood of the team. This team created something truly special, and they showed it again. Morgan did everything right. I just had a feeling in the semi-finals that he would take part in something special. That's all. The matches are very demanding and we have to make changes due to fatigue and the flow of the game. Bukayo showed that he is a key player – there was no doubt about that. I didn't even realize he had a hat-trick - I missed it, but he totally deserved it. Eight years ago, France was the champion, four years ago it reached the final, so the gap between the national teams is small and we want to reduce it. This is the first step towards our goal - we did it, we beat them. The next goal is a match against Spain in the League of Nations. Seeing a team fight like that is energizing. Fatigue will come later. During the final, we will still feel pain and it will take some time, but overall this game gives me more energy than it takes away," Tuchel was quoted as saying by the FA press service. Available for viewing on media.