New England manager, Thomas Tuchel feels that the ambition to win 2026 FIFA World Cup brings “huge responsibility” for him.
With a star-studded squad which has reached at least the Quarter-Finals at the last four major international tournaments, England hope that Tuchel can take them to a first men’s title since 1966 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 51 year-old is well aware of that fact and explained in his first official interview as manager that he is keen to achieve success with his new squad.
“It’s a big privilege for me and it comes with huge responsibility. We will give our very best to live up to it, to make our supporters proud, to make our team better and to achieve our big goal in 2026.”
England though marks Tuchel’s first venture into international football management but he is relishing the challenge of taking the team to the World Cup in Summer 2026.
“There are many reasons. It’s a new schedule for me, coming from club football – but it’s the FA, with the biggest tradition. It’s the Three Lions. It’s the country with the most competitive league and it’s an extraordinary squad of players.
“Competing with this country and this group of players for the biggest prize was very quickly very exciting for me and my staff. That’s why we didn’t need long to think about it.”
Tuchel soon turned his attention to the squad as he praised the current character and talent within the team.
“The talent and potential is obviously huge. But for me, even more importantly, the character of the players is one of a kind.
“It was amazing for me to see the character, determination, grit and hunger that it takes to perform at this level. To have the chance to work with such a talented group makes me excited. I think we have everything to win titles and that’s what I’m here for.”
The youth pathway though is packed with emerging talent from James Trafford to Taylor Harwood-Bellis who were part of the title-winning Euro Under-21s team.
He however credited England Women’s for leading the way in recent success for England across various levels across both sides, but iterated that the men’s senior team must step up to knock that final hurdle down of their own potential.
“The FA has proven how consistently they produce winning teams now. They did it with the women’s senior team, they did it with the men’s under-21s and also the younger teams and the men’s senior team has been knocking on the door at the last few tournaments.
“The generation is there, the knowledge is there, the foundation is there and the environment is there. It’s on us now to create a culture and create habits because we want the big prize in 2026 in America.”
Tuchel also spoke of the need to harness the fans’ passion and create a style reflective of the Premier League, which can excite fans but achieve success on the global stage.
“To see the genuine excitement in the country for the national team is something very special and we want to create that energy.
“We want to create chances, we want to not allow chances for the opponent and we want to implement a style that reflects the Premier League.
“We want to excite everybody and we need the energy from the supporters to make special things happen.”