England were 84 minutes away from their first men's World Cup final since 1966. Then it all unravelled. Argentina's Enzo Fernandez equalised with a thumping strike, and Lautaro Martinez headed a winner two minutes into stoppage time. The scoreline: England 1–2 Argentina. The fallout: a barrage of criticism aimed at manager Thomas Tuchel for his defensive tactics after Anthony Gordon put England ahead in the 55th minute.
Tuchel, the German head coach appointed in 2025, switched to a back five, bringing on defenders Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn and Nico O'Reilly in the closing stages. Forwards Marcus Rashford and Ivan Toney only entered the game deep into stoppage time. The result was a collapse in possession: England had just 12% of the ball from the moment they scored to the moment they conceded the second goal. Former England captain Wayne Rooney told BBC Sport: "We have crumbled. It started from the manager and the decisions he made. It was too passive." Alan Shearer added that Tuchel "played his cards very, very early and it has backfired." Ex-Premier League striker Chris Sutton called it "a coaching catastrophe".
“Explaining England's World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina and the scrutiny on manager Thomas Tuchel.”
This was England's first World Cup semi-final under Tuchel, who took over after Gareth Southgate's resignation following Euro 2024. The team had shown resilience earlier in the tournament, coming from behind to beat DR Congo and Norway. But Argentina, the reigning world champions, were a different proposition. Lionel Messi set up both goals, and Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni admitted his team "smelt blood" as England dropped deep. Former Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas described England's approach as "cowardly" on X, while 2014 World Cup winner Thomas Müller said he could not understand why England "invited Argentina to play one cross after the other".
For UK readers, this defeat revives painful memories of past tournament exits where England led only to lose late: the 2018 World Cup semi-final against Croatia, the Euro 2020 final shootout loss to Italy, and the quarter-final defeat to France in 2022. The difference this time was the clarity of the tactical blame. Tuchel had signed a two-year contract extension in February 2026, keeping him in charge through the home Euro 2028. But after this semi-final, many fans and pundits questioned whether he should stay. The Football Association, however, backed him. Chief executive Mark Bullingham said: "It is heartbreaking to be so close. The players and Thomas gave it everything today." Tuchel himself said: "I have a contract until the home Euros and I'm looking forward to that."
Q: Will Thomas Tuchel be sacked after England's World Cup exit? No. The FA and its chief executive Mark Bullingham have confirmed Tuchel retains their support and will stay on as England manager for the Euro 2028 campaign, having signed a two-year extension in February 2026.
Q: What tactical mistakes did Tuchel make in the semi-final? After taking a 1–0 lead, Tuchel switched to a defensive five-man defence, bringing on Konsa, Burn and O'Reilly instead of attacking substitutes. England had only 12% possession from the 55th minute onwards, inviting pressure that led to two late Argentina goals.
Q: How did England's players perform against Argentina? Anthony Gordon scored and was rated 8/10 by the Guardian. Reece James and Djed Spence also impressed, but Harry Kane struggled (5/10) and substitute Konsa was at fault for Martinez's winner. The team as a whole was criticised for dropping too deep after scoring.
What happens next? England still have one match to play – a third-place playoff – before turning their attention to Euro 2028, which they will host. Tuchel remains in charge, but the pressure will be intense. The squad's character, praised earlier in the tournament, will be tested again. Whether Tuchel learns from this "coaching catastrophe" will define his tenure, and England's hopes, for years to come.