Reaching a FIFA World Cup semi-final would ordinarily provide reason for unrestrained celebration. But after England beat Norway 2-1 at Miami Stadium to set up a last-four clash with Argentina, Three Lions coach Thomas Tuchel was far from impressed by the manner of his side’s progress.
After watching his team come from behind for the second time in the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage thanks to a brace from Jude Bellingham, Tuchel caught many off guard with his post-match comments.
”The result is fantastic,” Tuchel said. “We are in the last four. It’s amazing. But I’m not happy with the performance.
In every sense. The commitment is there but we made life very, very difficult for ourselves in the way we played, how we played: sloppy, a lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough, not repetitive enough. We were lucky today.”
Tuchel also acknowledged the spirit and resilience his players had shown but his central message was crystal clear: England must play significantly better if they are to overcome Argentina.
Bellingham has enjoyed a sensational tournament
It was not the first time during the tournament that Tuchel has separated England’s mentality from their performance. After their dramatic Round-of-16 victory over Mexico, he praised a “heroic” collective effort but said “there is still a disconnect from us and the best version of us that I see.”
The former Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund coach’s refusal to let success create comfort has long been a feature of his coaching, with quarter-final match-winner Bellingham among those to experience Tuchel’s ‘tough love’.
Bellingham has enjoyed a sensational tournament for the Three Lions, scoring six goals to match the output of captain Harry Kane. Ahead of the World Cup, though, Tuchel resisted the opportunity to establish the Real Madrid midfielder as his first-choice No10.
The England coach insisted time and again that Bellingham was in a fight with Morgan Rogers for a starting berth – stressing that reputation would not determine his starting XI and challenging Bellingham over how he channelled his emotion on the pitch.
Heading into the World Cup opener against Croatia, there was still doubt as to whether Bellingham or Rogers it would be offered the chance at No10.
In the end, Bellingham was given the nod and the response has been emphatic, culminating in his match-winning turn against Norway. It was all, it seems, part of Tuchel’s motivational masterplan.
