Tuchel keeps FA backing after England's World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina

Thomas Tuchel will remain as England head coach and lead the team into Euro 2028 after the Football Association confirmed its full support following a heartbreaking World Cup semi-final exit. England fell 2-1 to Argentina on Wednesday, missing out on a first men's World Cup final appearance since 1966. Tuchel faced criticism for his substitutions after his side let a 1-0 lead slip late in the game, but FA chief executive Mark Bullingham made clear the German retains the board's trust. "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." Tuchel, who was appointed in January 2025 on an 18-month mission to win the World Cup, signed a two-year contract extension in February. The 2028 European Championship will be co-hosted by England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, and Tuchel sees leading the side at a home Euros as a rare privilege. "We keep on going with the contract until the home Euros," Tuchel said after the match in Atlanta. "I'm looking forward to that even though right now it's difficult to look that far ahead." England will face France in Saturday's bronze-medal match (22:00 BST). A win would give the team its best World Cup result since 1966, and internally the FA views the semi-final finish as a relative success. "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," Tuchel added.