Michael Owen has warned that England’s thrilling last‑16 victory over Mexico was the worst thing that could have happened to Thomas Tuchel’s side – a performance that, he says, created a “blueprint for losing a World Cup” rather than winning one.
The former England striker, writing in his Daily Mail column, said the 3‑2 win at the Azteca Stadium – achieved with ten men and a defiant defensive display – provoked a “dangerous overreaction among former players and supporters”. He added: “It was being labelled as our greatest‑ever performance – and I was called miserable by some for pointing out that it absolutely was not.”
“Michael Owen says England's Mexico win was 'blueprint for losing a World Cup' as Three Lions face bronze final”
Owen’s warning proved prescient. In the semi‑final against Argentina, England took the lead but fell to two late strikes, crashing out. Owen argued that the Mexico game had “tricked everyone – even the players themselves – into believing that if you drop back and defend a lead you’ll be lauded as last‑action heroes”. He said: “You defend a lead by keeping the ball, by scoring a second … Instead, what we saw against Argentina was sadly inevitable. England were petrified of losing. Absolutely terrified.”
The 46‑year‑old drew on his own experience, recalling: “I scored against Brazil in a World Cup quarter‑final and we did exactly the same. Brazil then went down to 10 men and we couldn’t lay a glove on them.” He called Tuchel’s tactics “negative” after the defeat.
Now, with the World Cup still ongoing, England must regroup for Saturday’s third‑place play‑off against France. Tuchel is expected to freshen up his side for the bronze final, a consolation match that will do little to ease the disappointment of a semi‑final collapse that Owen believes was seeded in that victory in Mexico City.
