Washington, United States — Thomas Tuchel is already looking forward to a home Euros in 2028 after England’s bitter World Cup exit. But will he have to earn back the trust of his players?

The England boss has been heavily criticised for his defensive substitutions in a 2-1 semi-final defeat by Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday, accused of ceding control to Lionel Messi’s team.

Anthony Gordon put England on track for their first World Cup final since 1966 but late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez turned the match around in a dramatic finish.

Tuchel, the German appointed to make bold, game-changing calls in the biggest moments, failed his biggest test as his team folded under intense Argentine pressure.

Defender Marc Guehi suggested England should have remained on the front foot against the defending champions.

“We should have carried on, we should have carried on pushing,” he said. “It kind of felt like we scored and then the mentality was go back, defend.”

Captain Harry Kane also questioned his side’s approach but refused to point the finger at Tuchel’s game management.

Ex-players and pundits were more direct, expressing widespread astonishment at his tactics.

Former England captain Wayne Rooney told the BBC that the Three Lions had been “too passive” while ex-England international Chris Sutton said it had been a “coaching catastrophe”.

“He was negative, so the question which I’m going to ask is ‘How can you trust Thomas Tuchel to take this team forward?’,” said Sutton.

Despite the manner of England’s defeat, Tuchel is understood to retain the backing of the Football Association, who appointed him in October 2024 to succeed Gareth Southgate.

“It is heartbreaking to be so close,” said FA chief executive Mark Bullingham. “The players and Thomas gave it everything today and the squad, coaches and staff could not have worked harder during the tournament.

“I would like to thank them all, and also give my heartfelt thanks to our wonderful fans here in the USA and at home.”

The blunt and charismatic Tuchel, 52, was hired with a reputation as a tactical wizard to get England over the line at a major championship after a string of agonising near-misses under Southgate.

But the 2026 tournament has ended in familiar, heartbreaking fashion.

Tuchel’s initial contract took him up until the end of the 2026 World Cup but he subsequently signed a new deal keeping him in the job until the 2028 European Championship, in the UK and Ireland.

The former Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss is already looking forward, even though England still have to face France in a third-place play-off in Miami on Saturday.

“There is still a match to play that we are not looking so much forward to, but there is still a match to play,” he said.

“Of course then we keep on going. I have a contract until the home Euros and I’m looking forward to that even, like now, it’s difficult to look that far ahead.”

The England camp has been a largely happy one during the World Cup – highlighted when Tuchel danced with his players in the rosy afterglow of their impressive 3-2 win in Mexico City.

But the tournament is ending on a sour note and Tuchel must address pressing questions including defensive issues and an over-reliance on forward Harry Kane, who turns 33 later this month.

He must also convince his players and the nation that he will get the biggest calls right next time.