Tuchel Faces Fresh Backlash After England’s World Cup Semi-Final Collapse

England manager Thomas Tuchel has come under renewed criticism following the Three Lions’ dramatic 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

England looked on course for a place in the final after taking the lead, only for the reigning world champions to produce a stirring comeback and book a title showdown with Spain.

Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton has now questioned Tuchel’s tactical approach, accusing the German of inviting unnecessary pressure by adopting an overly defensive strategy after England went ahead.

“The fact that England got themselves in front and then basically handed Argentina the initiative—that was a coaching catastrophe from Thomas Tuchel,” Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“You can’t expect to defend for 30 minutes against the quality Argentina had.

“It’s all on the coach as far as I’m concerned. He made the changes, he was negative, so the question I’m going to ask is: how can you trust Thomas Tuchel to take this team forward?”

Tuchel’s substitutions and tactical adjustments have become a major talking point in the aftermath of England’s exit, with critics arguing that the decision to retreat allowed Lionel Messi and his teammates to seize control of the contest.

England will now attempt to salvage some pride when they face France in Saturday’s third-place play-off, while Tuchel is expected to face increasing scrutiny over his decisions as attention turns towards the team’s future beyond the World Cup.