FIFA World Cup 2026: "We got too passive after we scored," says coach Tuchel after England's SF loss to Argentina

Atlanta [US], July 16 : England coach Thomas Tuchel expressed his disappointment after the Three Lions' 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal. He blamed the team's inability to handle Argentina's sustained pressure, which led to their comeback victory.
The result sent Argentina into the World Cup 2026 final, where they will face Spain on Sunday, July 19 (local time), while England's hopes of reaching their first World Cup final since 1966 came to a heartbreaking end.
The England manager said the team was disappointed after coming close to victory. He admitted they became too passive after scoring and taking the lead, struggled to regain control, and allowed Argentina too many chances that led to the defeat.
"We're disappointed, we were so close but we got too passive after we scored and conceded a lot of chances. We could not turn the ball possession around and then conceded so many crosses, chances and shots. We were close but couldn't keep the level up after we scored," Tuchel said as quoted by the FIFA website.
Tuchel said Argentina dominated aerial duels and repeatedly attacked with crosses, forcing his team to switch to a back five to strengthen their defence and cover spaces.
"They won every header, they kept crossing and crossing so we went to a back five to close the gaps inside and be strong in the air," he said.
He said the game shifted after England scored, as they allowed too many crosses and chances, losing control of the match. He felt the issue was not the formation but the team's inability to respond.
"Straight after our goal, without any substitutions, we conceded way too many crosses and way too many chances so we tried to help. We couldn't win any balls, we couldn't keep the ball so I think it was not a structural problem. The match changed completely," Tuchel said.
In the match, England took the lead in the 55th minute through Anthony Gordon, but Argentina responded with sustained pressure. Enzo Fernandez equalised in the 85th minute before Lionel Messi assisted Lautaro Martinez's stoppage-time winner to complete the turnaround.
The match was a tightly contested affair, with both teams creating limited chances in the first half. Argentina's victory ended England's hopes of reaching their first World Cup final since 1966. The Three Lions will face France in the third-place playoff, while Argentina will meet Spain in the final on July 19 (local time).