FA set to keep Thomas Tuchel as England boss after World Cup heartache

Thomas Tuchel’s job as England manager is safe, according to reports, despite the Three Lions crashing out of the World Cup in a heartbreaking semi-final defeat to Argentina. England led 2-1 in Atlanta on Wednesday after Anthony Gordon fired them ahead early in the second half, but the game turned when Lionel Messi set up Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez to snatch victory for the South Americans. Tuchel’s decision to drop deep after scoring has been heavily criticised, but the Football Association has already made up its mind. Transfer insider insider revealed that the FA plans to tell Tuchel they want him to stay. “The message from people close to the English federation after the game is that, despite the disappointment of going out in the semi-finals and despite the criticism on social media, they want to continue with Tuchel,” Romano said on his YouTube channel. “They will speak to him in the next few days and tell him they want him to stay. They want him to continue as part of the long-term project with the England national team.” Tuchel himself remained defiant after the match, saying: “We played one of our best games, maybe the best one. It’s too easy to criticise after losing. There are millions of coaches.” The defeat extended a painful run — Opta noted that England have now lost each of their last seven World Cup knockout matches against top‑10 FIFA‑ranked opponents. It is the second time in three World Cups that England have exited at the semi‑final stage, and they have also finished runners‑up in each of the last two European Championships. With the 2028 European Championship to be played across the British Isles, Tuchel appears primed to lead the Three Lions into that tournament, offering their best chance since 2020 to end a long silverware drought.