FA launches formal inquest with Tuchel after England's World Cup semi-final collapse against Argentina

The Football Association has launched a formal review into England’s 2026 World Cup campaign, holding an intensive debrief with manager Thomas Tuchel and his staff nearly two months after Argentina ended the Three Lions’ hopes in the semi-finals.

England lost the semi-final after Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez scored late goals to overturn Anthony Gordon’s opener, with Tuchel’s tactical decisions in the closing stages drawing widespread criticism. The manager substituted goalscorer Gordon for central defender Ezri Konsa after taking the lead, then introduced Dan Burn and Nico O’Reilly in place of Reece James and Declan Rice — a sequence of changes that left England exposed and unable to protect their advantage.

Despite the manner of the exit, England’s overall tournament record represented the country’s second-best World Cup showing since the 1966 triumph. A 6-4 victory over France in the third-place play-off secured bronze, though the mood around the squad remained far from celebratory given how close they had come.

Tuchel, alongside assistant Anthony Barry, fitness specialist Nico Mayer, goalkeeper coach Henrique Hilario, analyst James Melbourne, and FA technical director John McDermott, spent three days reviewing the tournament in full before the formal FA process began.

The manager will now attend a meeting of the FA’s performance advisory group, which includes England women’s manager Sarina Wiegman, rugby league figure Sir Kevin Sinfield, and Manoj Badale, owner of cricket franchise Rajasthan Royals. According to the Telegraph, the group is intended to foster open discussion rather than place Tuchel under formal scrutiny.

The review is expected to examine a recurring pattern across the tournament. England produced their most compelling football in a second-half comeback to beat Croatia 4-2 in the opener, but that attacking intensity rarely resurfaced. They struggled to impose themselves against DR Congo and Norway in the round of 32 and quarter-final respectively, winning both from behind, and were similarly cautious against Mexico.

The defensive retreat that followed Gordon’s goal against Argentina — the moment that ultimately cost England the match — is understood to be a central focus of the inquest. Before the tournament, Tuchel had spoken about wanting to shift the team’s mentality away from the fear of losing that he felt had defined the Gareth Southgate era. Whether that shift was achieved will be among the questions the FA’s review seeks to answer.

England return to action in September, when they face Spain, Czech Republic, and Croatia in the Nations League.