World Cup 2026: England squad debating Tuchel's tactics against Argentina
England's football squad is experiencing internal friction following their World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina. Players have reportedly criticized manager Thomas Tuchel's defensive tactical decisions during the match.
Why it matters
High-profile sports losses often lead to intense scrutiny of coaching strategies and team dynamics, impacting the future direction of national programs.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Defeat means England's men will not have reached a World Cup final for at least 64 years
Senior football correspondent in Atlanta Published 16 July 2026 England's defensive retreat in their agonising World Cup semi-final 2-1 loss to Argentina on Wednesday has become the big talking point – and that topic is also being hotly debated among members of Thomas Tuchel's squad.
A number of sources have indicated to BBC Sport that a clutch of key players were left disappointed by how the team approached the final stages of the game.
However, fresh comments from Tuchel have emerged in which he said that it was never the plan to drop deeper and that "it's maybe not in our DNA…to control the game and ball".
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in