Sport
Three big issues Thomas Tuchel must solve for England before the 2026 World Cup
England will take on Andorra and Serbia in World Cup qualifying over the next week with Thomas Tuchel intent on making the most of the international break to remould the Three Lions ahead of next year’s tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Tuchel got off to a slow start as England manager and must show more to suggest he can end the national team’s 60-year wait for silverware. Here are three issues he must address before the 2026 World Cup.
Is there a creativity deficiency?
While England’s record at major tournaments under Gareth Southgate was very respectable, there was always a sense that the Three Lions lacked the dimension needed to truly impose themselves on the strongest opponents. This is where Tuchel will be expected to make the biggest difference.
In theory, England have plenty options to help them dictate games. Tuchel has called up a number of them – Declan Rice, Morgan Gibbs-White and Morgan Rogers, to name a few – for the matches against Andorra and Serbia, but can the former Bayern Munich and Chelsea boss find the right balance?
This might depend on Tuchel forging a strong midfielder partnership first. Southgate struggled to find the right partner for Rice in the centre of the pitch. Once Tuchel has that, though, he will have more freedom to experiment with number 10s and attacking midfielders further forward.
Who will start out wide?
Bukayo Saka is a nailed on starter for England, assuming the Arsenal winger is fit and available at the 2026 World Cup. On the left side, though, there is a larger question mark. Tuchel has options in that area of the pitch, but few of them are making a strong case to start at this moment in time.
Marcus Rashford has made a shaky start to life at Barcelona and has lacked confidence over the last two seasons. Eberechi Eze has yet to settle in at Arsenal after joining from Crystal Palace and is most comfortable as a number 10. Meanwhile, Anthony Gordon remains inconsistent and Jarrod Bowen is playing for a struggling West Ham side.
Depending on his club form for Everton this season, Jack Grealish could be Tuchel’s best option on the left side of the attack, but the 29-year-old won’t feature against Andorra or Serbia. There is very much an open spot in the England forward line. Will anyone make it their own?
Who will play at full back?
Not so long ago, Myles Lewis-Skelly looked to have locked down the starting left back spot in the England lineup for the foreseeable future. Now, though, the teenager has been displaced from the Arsenal side by Ricardo Calafiori and faces a fight for minutes at club and international level.
Lewis Hall is another talented left back prospect, but the Newcastle United youngster is currently sidelined through injury. Tino Livramento could be a solution, however the 22-year-old is more comfortable on the right side of the defence. Could Luke Shaw force his way back into the national team reckoning?
On the right side, Tuchel certainly has more options, but he must decide who will start at the 2026 World Cup. Does Trent Alexander-Arnold have the defensive instincts to play at full back in a Tuchel team? Will Reece James be a viable option if he’s playing in midfield for Chelsea? Could Livramento be the long-term solution?
