2026-07-17T14:03:16+00:00
Shafaq News- Atlanta
Thomas Tuchel called for England to change their football “DNA” after Argentina overturned a 1-0 deficit to win their 2026 World Cup semifinal 2-1.
The England manager argued that his players lacked the ability to slow the match through possession once Anthony Gordon gave them the lead in the 55th minute. “It’s maybe not in our DNA like it is in the Spanish, Argentinian or Brazilian DNA to take the ball and control the game.”
He denied ordering England to retreat, explaining that the team lost duels and dropped progressively deeper under Argentina’s pressure, but then defended his switch to a back five, as the structure was intended to “close gaps” and confront Argentina’s wide players more aggressively.
“We encouraged everyone to step out and be more active, but we struggled,” he added. “We couldn’t find any duels.”
England held 12% possession between Gordon’s goal and Enzo Fernandez’s 85th-minute equalizer, the lowest recorded share for a team leading a World Cup match for at least 10 minutes since 1966. During that period, Argentina completed 160 passes in the attacking third to England’s four and recorded 97.6% field tilt.
Tuchel replaced Gordon, Declan Rice, and Reece James with defenders Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn, and Nico O’Reilly. Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, and Ollie Watkins remained unused. The changes left Harry Kane isolated and removed England’s counterattacking outlet before Lionel Messi assisted Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez.
UEFA-licensed analysts at Coaches’ Voice found that the back five failed to close England’s shape, with space remaining between midfield and defence as Argentina pushed more players forward.
Former Premier League manager Alan Pardew argued that Tuchel’s substitutions reinforced a negative mentality, while Kane acknowledged that England tried to protect the lead rather than continue playing.
The defeat continued England’s record of losing major knockout matches after scoring first. They led Croatia before a 2-1 extra-time defeat in the 2018 World Cup semifinal and opened the scoring against Italy before losing the Euro 2020 final on penalties.
England have also lost all seven World Cup knockout matches against FIFA top-10 opponents since 1998. Their only successful World Cup semifinal remains the 1966 victory over Portugal, the year they won their sole major men’s trophy.
The 60-year wait has sustained the “It’s Coming Home” refrain, taken from the 1996 song Three Lions and revived at every major tournament.
Tuchel rejected the idea of a curse but acknowledged that England must impose themselves more effectively in decisive matches, and confirmed his intention to remain through Euro 2028.
