Guardiola had verbal agreement to manage England before FA turned to Tuchel

Pep Guardiola had a verbal agreement to become England manager before the FA turned to Thomas Tuchel, and the Catalan is said to still hold an interest in the role following England’s semi-final elimination at the 2026 World Cup.

According to The Athletic, Guardiola had agreed to succeed Gareth Southgate before ultimately deciding to extend his contract at Manchester City. That change of heart prompted the FA to pursue Tuchel, who was appointed in January 2025. Guardiola is now a free agent after leaving City at the end of last season.

Tuchel’s position has come under scrutiny after England were knocked out by Argentina in the semi-finals, with criticism directed at his tactical approach in a game England led before conceding a late comeback. Calls for his dismissal have grown louder, with Guardiola frequently cited as the ideal successor.

However, the FA appears committed to retaining Tuchel. His contract contained exit clauses that could have been triggered by either party, but only if England had been eliminated before the quarter-finals. A separate exemption was also built in ahead of the last-16 tie against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca — a match England won 3-2 — given the perceived difficulty of that fixture. England’s run to the semi-finals, only the fourth time in the nation’s history they have reached that stage, means none of those clauses have been activated.

The FA reaffirmed its backing of Tuchel in the immediate aftermath of the Argentina defeat, and he was handed a contract extension earlier in the year that ties him to the role through Euro 2028. Tuchel himself has shown no desire to leave, having rebuffed an approach from Manchester United in January after they sacked Ruben Amorim.

A routine post-tournament FA review will take place, but Tuchel is expected to remain in charge. His more immediate task is preparing England for a third-place play-off against France on Saturday.