Tuchel's divorce, new relationship and £5m England salary ahead of World Cup debut

Thomas Tuchel begins his first major tournament as England head coach on Wednesday night, leading the Three Lions against Croatia in their World Cup 2026 Group L opener at Dallas Stadium, Arlington — a fixture that arrives as France and Argentina have already set the early pace with three-goal victories apiece.

The 52-year-old German was appointed England head coach in January 2025, handed the task of delivering the nation’s first World Cup triumph since 1966. His predecessor, Gareth Southgate, reached the semi-finals in 2018 and the finals of both Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 without ever lifting the trophy.

The divorce that made headlines

Tuchel’s personal life drew significant attention during his time at Chelsea, when his 13-year marriage to Sissi ended in 2022. The couple had married in 2009, and Sissi had only recently relocated to Surrey with their two daughters, Emma and Kim, to be closer to Tuchel during his second season at Stamford Bridge.

At the time of the move, Tuchel spoke warmly about the family being reunited. “Now it is good that they have joined me and that they are close to me — this is how it should be,” he said. Yet by the following April, the relationship was over. A source told the Mail on Sunday: “Sissi and Thomas have tried to avoid splitting, but in the end, there was no other way. It is very sad, and now it is all about making sure their daughters are the top priority.”

The Independent reported that the breakdown had become a talking point inside the Chelsea dressing room and had altered some players’ perception of their manager. Tuchel was sacked from Stamford Bridge less than six months after the split became public.

A new relationship

Reportedly within weeks of his divorce being made public, Tuchel began a relationship with Brazilian mother-of-two Natalie Max, believed to be 13 years his junior. The couple were photographed together in Sardinia in the summer of 2022, said to have stayed at a villa reportedly priced at £20,000 per night.

The England brief

Tuchel arrives at the World Cup having managed at the highest level with Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, where he won the Champions League in 2021. England’s campaign opens against Croatia — the same nation that knocked them out at the semi-final stage in Russia in 2018 — giving the fixture an added layer of significance before a ball has even been kicked.