Officially appointed as the new manager of the England squad, Thomas Tuchel will spearhead the Three Lions’ World Cup 2026 campaign.
Tuchel has been named the new manager of the England national team, the Football Association said on Wednesday. An 18-month deal, valid until the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, was inked by the German coach. After Gareth Southgate steps down, Tuchel will take over as coach of the Three Lions on January 1, 2025, working with assistant Anthony Barry.
After watching Southgate guide the Three Lions to the World Cup semifinals in 2018 and the finals of the 2020 and 2024 European Championships, England will be hopeful Tuchel can ignite the team to glory. Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, was apparently the FA’s initial option for the position, but Tuchel, who left Bayern Munich in May, was chosen instead. Although Tuchel has a track record of success from his time as a title winner with Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Bayern, this is his first international managerial position.
I have had a deep emotional bond with this game for a long time, and it has already brought me some amazing experiences. Being able to play for England is a great honor, and it’s an incredible pleasure to collaborate with such a unique and gifted collection of players.”As my assistant coach, Anthony and I will work closely together to do everything within our power to make England successful and the supporters pleased. I am grateful for the FA’s trust, especially that of Mark and John, and I am eager to begin our adventure together.
“We are thrilled to have hired Anthony Barry, one of the best English coaches, to support Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world,” FA CEO Mark Bullingham continued. Our hiring procedure has been extremely meticulous.We have a backup plan before the EUROs that listed all the characteristics we would require in a coach. We have been going through the applicant pool since Gareth left, meeting with several coaches and assessing them based on those standards. Thomas impressed everyone with his extensive knowledge and his strong work ethic. Anthony is a gifted Englishman who has also traveled abroad, having lived in Belgium, Portugal, and the Republic of Ireland.
“Our main goal in hiring a coaching staff was to offer us the best chance to win a major tournament, and we think they will succeed in doing so. Giving us the best chance to win the World Cup in 2026 is Thomas and the team’s singular objective.”I want to express my gratitude to Lee for going above and beyond what we requested of him. Lee is an extremely skilled coach and a key component of our England team. His current goal is to win the U21 Euro championship again in the summer. For supporters of both the senior team and the MU21, these are exciting times, and we can’t wait to welcome Thomas and Anthony when they start working in January.”
As the first German coach to lead the England national team, Tuchel is the third foreign coach in that role. He assumes the post after Sven-Goran Eriksson of Sweden and Fabio Capello of Italy.
The Football Association has also verified that Tuchel signed his contract on October 8. The official announcement was postponed until after the most recent round of Nations League matches to avoid interfering with interim manager Lee Carsley’s work.
