Tuchel reveals World Cup regret after England's bronze-medal run in the USA

Thomas Tuchel has opened up on an unusual World Cup regret, saying he wishes he had eaten some of the pitch grass after England’s 3-2 victory over Mexico to preserve the memory of the moment forever.

The Three Lions manager, who guided England to a bronze medal at the summer tournament in the United States, will name his Nations League squad on Friday ahead of a home fixture against Spain on September 26. Tuchel reflected on the Mexico win — in which Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane both scored to send England into the quarter-finals against Norway — as one of the defining moments of his tenure.

“I texted a friend after the match and I just wrote that I regret that I didn’t eat some grass after the match to keep something in my body forever,” Tuchel said on the FA’s official website. “That was the feeling. That was the moment.”

The 52-year-old also highlighted a moment of collective character from his squad after the final whistle, when Jordan Henderson broke his arm celebrating and every player immediately stopped to form a protective shield around him. “If you needed any proof of what it meant to these players and how they were with each other, it was the moment when Jordan fell over and broke his arm,” Tuchel said. “Like within a second, every single player was there stopping the celebrations, building a shield, protecting Jordan, not going nowhere in full empathy. It was just so special.”

Despite the semi-final defeat to Argentina, Tuchel believes the tournament has cemented his relationship with the squad. “There’s a huge bond to these players, it feels like they are my players now,” he said. “This is the beauty of it, when you have a manager and you have success and you have painful moments together. You create a natural bond.”

Looking ahead, Tuchel struck an optimistic tone about England’s prospects, pointing to a record of eight wins, one draw and one loss across ten matches in the United States as a platform to build on. “I think we got another step closer and I think we’re there,” he said. “We have all the right to hold our heads high and go with courage and positivity into the next challenges.”

England’s Nations League campaign begins at home to Spain on September 26, with a fixture against Czechia also scheduled in the group stage.