England’s dream of bringing the FIFA World Cup 2026 trophy home crashed and burned after the loss against Argentina in the semi-final. Despite taking a 1-0 lead, England buckled under pressure, allowing Lionel Messi and co to make a comeback and seal the contest 2-1, owing to goals by Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez. However, the Three Lions still have a lot to play for as the third place in the tournament is up for grabs when England takes on France on Sunday, July 19 (IST).
However, ahead of the third-fourth place match against the Les Bleus, England coach Thomas Tuchel said that neither of the teams wants to play the game since the disappointment of missing out on the final looms large.
While England lost to Argentina, France came up short against Spain, losing the contest 2-0.
“None of our players and none of the French players want to play this match,” Tuchel told reporters following the defeat against Argentina in the semi-final.
“They want to play the final. We gave everything to achieve that. Everyone plays to win the World Cup, but that’s how it is. We have one less day of recovery than France, but we will do it with professionalism,” he added.
‘Very demanding’
Tuchel, who is under fire for his defensive tactics in the World Cup semi-final, said that reaching the last four in the tournament is an achievement, as only a select few get to achieve the milestone.
“We’ll have to wait four years before participating in another World Cup,” Tuchel said.
“Reaching the semi-finals is already an achievement in itself, of course. Many great footballing nations are eliminated before the semi-finals. It’s an achievement, but nobody wants to hear that at the moment, myself included, because we’re very demanding of ourselves,” he added.
Speaking of Tuchel, he continues to draw the ire of English fans and experts for switching to a back five in the semi-final against Argentina after Anthony Gordon’s opening goal, which gave the Three Lions a lead against the Albiceleste.
Former players like Wayne Rooney have said that the defensive shift invited pressure and eventually led to Argentina’s late comeback.
However, Tuchel defended his managerial choices and refused to take the blame for the loss. As of now, his future with the FA also remains safe.
