For decades, England fans would hide behind their sofas whenever a tournament match went to penalties. From Italia 90 to Euro 96 to the 2006 World Cup, shootouts were a source of collective trauma. But under Gareth Southgate, that narrative flipped. Now his successor Thomas Tuchel has confirmed he will stick with the same penalty blueprint that turned England from perennial losers into one of the most composed shootout sides in world football.
So what is this famous plan? Essentially, it's a system of meticulous preparation, clear accountability, and psychological support. Before Southgate took charge in 2016, England had won just one of seven tournament shootouts. Under him, they won three out of four. Tuchel has said the FA's programme "has been in place for years" and that England will continue to follow it as they prepare to face DR Congo in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup. The match, kicking off at 17:00 BST on Wednesday, is the kind of high-pressure knockout game where penalties become a real possibility.
“How England's penalty plan evolved under Southgate and why Tuchel is keeping it.”
The roots of England's improved record lie in Southgate's philosophy that penalties are not a lottery. He and his staff believed that clarity and preparation were the keys to success. The team practised penalties regularly, trying to replicate the feel of a real shootout in training so that the process became driven by muscle memory. Decision-making was also streamlined: Southgate decided the penalty takers well in advance based on training performances, and he publicly took full accountability for the outcome, aiming to remove any blame from his players. Each penalty taker was assigned a "buddy" who would greet them at the halfway line after the long walk back from the goal, spreading the pressure. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford would have detailed research notes on opponents' likely penalty takers written on his water bottle. After the Euro 2020 final loss, Southgate adjusted his approach by giving penalty takers more time on the pitch before the shootout, after he brought on Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho with seconds to spare — a move he later felt denied them time to embed themselves in the game.
For UK readers this matters because England's knockout run — and potential progress to the last 16 against Mexico or Ecuador — could hinge on a shootout. DR Congo have shown they are no pushovers, having held Portugal to a 1-1 draw earlier in the group stage. England have also been defensively hampered by injuries to right-backs Reece James and Jarrel Quansah, who are out of the DR Congo game, though Tuchel believes both could return for a potential last-16 match. The current squad has never faced a sudden-death penalty scenario in a major tournament under Tuchel, so the institutional memory of Southgate's approach remains critical.
Q: Why were England so bad at penalties before Gareth Southgate? England had a long history of tournament shootout failures, winning only one of seven before Southgate's tenure. The sole success came against Spain at Euro 96. Factors included a lack of systematic preparation, higher pressure due to the national team's history, and the randomness of the lottery approach. Southgate changed the culture by implementing a structured, evidence-based routine.
Q: What exactly is the Southgate penalty plan that Tuchel is keeping? The plan involves regular practice replicating match conditions, advance selection of penalty takers based on training, public accountability taken by the manager, a "buddy" system to support each taker after the kick, and goalkeeper research on opponents' tendencies. Key details like Pickford's water bottle notes and giving takers adequate pitch time before a shootout are part of the same blueprint.
Q: What happens if England go to penalties against DR Congo? Tuchel has said the team has a clear process and order of takers, though he noted that it is "difficult to simulate" the unique tension of a shootout. The order is known in advance, but who finishes the game may affect who actually steps up. The players have been drilled in the Southgate system, and Tuchel confirmed they will follow the established FA programme.
What happens next: England face DR Congo on Wednesday, and if they win they will face the winner of Mexico vs Ecuador in the round of 16. The match kicks off at 17:00 BST and is live on BBC One. Should penalties occur, the Tuchel-Southgate system will face its first major test in a competitive England shootout.