England just delivered their best World Cup performance on foreign soil in decades, and yet this international break somehow feels like a make-or-break moment for Thomas Tuchel. That tension is exactly what makes this stretch of matches worth watching closely.
The Numbers Look Good, the Mood Doesn’t Entirely Match
On paper, Tuchel is in a strong position. He signed a contract extension back in February that runs through Euro 2028, and the Football Association is still fully behind him. The FA is going through its standard post-tournament review, as it does after every major competition, but the overall read from his bosses is that a third-place finish counts as a genuine success.
The problem is that success on paper hasn’t translated into full buy-in from everyone involved. A chunk of England’s fanbase is still frustrated over the tactical calls made during the semi-final loss to Argentina, and more importantly, some senior players inside the camp need winning back too.
What Actually Happened in the Semi-Final
The anger traces back to a specific moment: England were a goal up late in the semi-final against Argentina, and Tuchel’s side dropped into a much more defensive shape in the closing stages. Argentina, with Lionel Messi controlling the game, came back to win 2-1. Reports before the third-place play-off suggested several players were confused and let down by that defensive switch.
What made it worse was what came after. Tuchel pushed back on the idea that going defensive was his call, suggesting instead that players had sat too deep on their own, against what he’d wanted. That explanation didn’t land well inside the squad — some players reportedly felt like they were being blamed, and Tuchel’s comments about it maybe not being in England’s “DNA” to keep the ball under pressure only deepened the frustration. By the time the team was boarding the coach in Atlanta with their World Cup run over, there was a real sense among some players that their own manager had distanced himself from the decision at their expense.
A Relationship That Was Strong Before This
It’s worth remembering this wasn’t the dynamic for most of Tuchel’s time in charge. Since taking over in January 2025, he’s built what players and staff have openly described as a genuine “brotherhood” within the squad, and that camp atmosphere — with Tuchel and assistant Anthony Barry central to it — is a big part of why England reached their best finish since 1966. Throughout the tournament itself, players spoke positively about him without hesitation.
The Argentina result and its aftermath didn’t erase that goodwill, but it did puncture it. Tuchel now has to rebuild trust with players and supporters who, right up until that semi-final, were fully on board with him.
Why Spain at Wembley Matters So Much
That rebuilding process starts against about as tough a test as it gets: the reigning world and European champions, Spain, at Wembley on September 26. A win would be a genuine statement — it would suggest England has real silverware potential next summer now that they’re back in the Nations League’s top tier, and it would go a long way toward validating Tuchel’s methods and quieting some of his critics. A loss would do the opposite, and after the way the Argentina game ended, England can’t really afford a similar capitulation against another elite side.
The FA brought Tuchel in specifically to be the manager who could get England over the line in the biggest moments, and their win over France in the third-place play-off, while entertaining, was ultimately a dead rubber that didn’t carry the same weight — France’s defending in that game was notably shaky, which took some shine off the result.
The Bigger Picture
This is exactly why the Nations League matters more for Tuchel than people give it credit for. Unlike the often low-stakes friendlies of the past, it forces England to play meaningful matches against top-tier opposition. After Spain, England face the Czech Republic and Croatia — two more genuine tests that will say a lot about where this squad, and Tuchel’s project, actually stand heading into the rest of his tenure.
