England manager Thomas Tuchel has blamed English football’s ‘DNA’ for their 2-1 loss to Argentina in the World Cup 2026 semi-finals.
The former Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss came under heavy scrutiny for perceived negative tactics after the Three Lions let slip a 1-0 lead late on in Atlanta.
However, Tuchel argued that England’s struggles under pressure against Lionel Messi’s defending champions were due to an inability to retain possession rather than anything tactical.
Tuchel also insisted that he remains fully committed to the national side, with Euro 2028 set to be co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.
‘Not in our DNA’
Explaining his thought process during the clash with Argentina, Tuchel said on Sky Sports: “My feeling was no structure in the world could have helped us, because actually we were too passive and we were not physical enough.
“I haven’t seen the data yet, but I think right after the goal the momentum swings completely and ball possession drops dramatically.
“We couldn’t find any duels anymore. That’s why we dropped deeper and deeper. It was never the plan, but it happened.
“[We] couldn’t stop the runners from the second line, the midfielders through our gaps, and the deliveries were on the highest level.
“You need to get back on the ball, otherwise you cannot break the pressure and you cannot get the momentum back.
“I think ball possession plays a crucial role – it’s maybe not in our DNA like it is in Spanish DNA or Argentinian-Brazilian DNA to take the ball and control the game with the ball.”
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England players too passive
On the much-discussed decision to switch to a back five for the last 30 minutes of the game, Tuchel added: “We just get too passive within our structure and try to help.
“Not to help in a back five, to become more passive, but actually to be more active, to be quicker out to the wingers, to not open up the gaps in between the back four.
“We encourage everyone to step out and to be more active within the structure, but we just struggle.
“We struggled a bit physically as well, I think, over the whole tournament – playing in the heat, playing at an altitude, playing with a man down and so on.
“It cost us in the end a lot.”
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Tuchel optimistic over future
The German, who signed a two-year contract extension prior to the World Cup, is set to continue in his role as head coach and stated: “There’s still enough to improve and I’m more than happy to do that.
“I still think we can impose ourselves more on the ball, I still think we can show how good football players we are.
“I think it’s still in us because I see it in training in every camp and here also in the World Cup.
“I still feel there is an extra level that we need to conquer and we need to step up on the next level – and then to get the big prize.”
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SportJustSport writers