Thomas Tuchel, the newly appointed manager of the England national football team, is setting ambitious goals for his tenure. Officially starting on January 1, 2025, Tuchel has openly declared his aim to secure a World Cup victory in 2026.
\"We are not shy of it. We are absolutely open about it,\" Tuchel stated to reporters on Wednesday. \"It does not help the more often we speak about it, but it should be out there and then we can set the standards and set the values and principles because then we have to live up to them for 18 months.\"
The England team, known as the \"Three Lions,\" last won the World Cup in 1966. Since then, their best performances have seen them reach the semifinals in 2018 under Gareth Southgate in Russia, and the quarterfinals in Qatar in 2022. Additionally, England reached the finals of the past two UEFA European Championships but fell short against Italy in 2021 and Spain this year.
Following Southgate's resignation in July, Lee Carsley briefly took over as interim manager. The Football Association (FA) then selected Tuchel from a shortlist of 10 candidates, which reportedly included Manchester City's Pep Guardiola, according to ESPN.
Tuchel brings a wealth of experience from his managerial career at top clubs. He has won the DFB-Pokal with Borussia Dortmund, two Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), a UEFA Champions League title with Chelsea, and a Bundesliga trophy with Bayern Munich, among other honors.
Addressing his vision for the England team, Tuchel emphasized the quality and hunger of the players. \"We are playing with players for the best league and the biggest competition in the world. We have a group of young hungry players,\" he said. \"We are desperate to win a title, so we have all the ingredients, so I think we should try to implement this into our style of play. I think we should play an attacking style of football and we should try to emphasize a physical side of the game because this is what English football is all about and this is what excites our supporters, and this is what suits the players.\"
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Thomas Tuchel stats bullish goal for England: To win World Cup in 2026
cgtn.com
