Tuchel insists England should embrace underdog status at 2026 World Cup

Thomas Tuchel has said England would be underdogs at the World Cup and would be stronger if they did not allow themselves to become burdened by expectation.

Tuchel, who delivered another warning to Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden by reiterating that he is not looking to collect talents, was adamant that his side would not be one of the favourites next summer. The German stressed that England, who have been losing finalists in two successive European Championships, should not get carried away given they have not won the men’s World Cup since 1966.

“If you’ve never won Wimbledon you are maybe one of the favourites but you are not the favourite,” Tuchel said. “It is just how it is. There is ­Brazil, there is Argentina, Spain, France and they just did it recently. It doesn’t mean we have no chance. First we will qualify and then we will know exactly why we go there. We want to go all the way but the role has to be clear.

“I don’t see why we should ­burden ourselves that we are the big ­favourites. When did we last win it? Let’s go step by step. We build a team that is ready to go step by step and no one wants hopefully to play against us.”

It was put to Tuchel that pundits and bookmakers tend to raise hopes by making England favourites. “How am I responsible?” he said. “We will arrive with a clear target to try to win but I think there is a way to do it and a way people are not upset if it doesn’t happen.”

Tuchel said attitudes towards him have shifted since England’s 5-0 win over Serbia last month. “I felt the reaction when I go to restaurants or sit in a cab,” he said. “Just speaking to people I felt a different reaction to this last match and I believe it is because of the way we played.

“Before it was a different view but no one was upset with me. It was: ‘Bring it home and you will make it happen and by the way my team is whatever and nominate this player and you cannot play without this player.’ After the last camp it was: ‘Ah, that was amazing to watch.’”

Tuchel saw Steven Gerrard’s description of the Golden Generation as “egotistical losers” this week. ­Gerrard’s team fell below expectations and faced criticism after disappointing at the 2006 World Cup.

“When I hear people talking about their titles in international football or their missed chances I hear always the same song: ‘We have been a team,’ or: ‘We haven’t been a team,’” Tuchel said. “I think the rivalry between clubs was huge in this moment and they obviously couldn’t find a way to buy into a bigger purpose, a bigger goal. A big, big opportunity wasted.”

Tuchel was studying for his ­coaching licence in Germany in 2006. Was he aware of the media frenzy around England at their base in Baden-Baden? “I was maybe more focused on the football but we realised there was a bit of circus going on,” he said.

The message remains that Tuchel is looking to build the collective. He loved the energy during last month’s camp and saw no reason to bring Bellingham and Foden back into the squad.

“We are not collecting the most talented players, we are trying to build a team,” he said. “Teams win trophies, no one else. We will try to bring the best players and the best squad with the best players but it can sometimes happen in the end that you don’t just collect the most talented players and hope it works out.

“We build a team that cares for each other and supports each other, that accepts the hierarchy within the team, and this will bring us a long way.”

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