Tuchel admits tactical error in England's World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina

England manager Thomas Tuchel has admitted to making a tactical mistake during the second half of the World Cup 2026 semi-final against Argentina, which ended in a 2-1 defeat for his side.

England took the lead through Anthony Gordon in the 55th minute, but Argentina turned the match around in the final five minutes after the Three Lions dropped back to defend their advantage.

In a documentary about England’s tournament campaign, the German coach explained that his decision to switch to a defensive approach early on was the main reason for the loss. He said he opted to change the formation to 5-3-2 and then 5-4-1, hoping to control the width of the pitch and better deal with crosses.

Tuchel added: “You can try to crucify me here, but this is my scar, not yours. No one feels the pain more than I do, and no one wanted to win more than me.” He continued: “Maybe we should have made attacking changes, but no one knows what would have happened. The coach’s intervention is an attempt to help, not out of ego. It was too early—too early for that mentality.”