England have finished third at the World Cup. After Anthony Gordon’s goal gave the Three Lions the lead in the 55th minute of the semi-final, England capitulated and invited relentless pressure from Argentina, who equalised in the 85th minute, before Lautauro Martinez’s header put them ahead in the second minute of stoppage time to knock Thomas Tuchel’s men out. In the ‘Bronze Final’ against France, the Three Lios came out 6-4 victors to give them their best finish at a World Cup since the glory of 1966. So, as England’s wait for a major trophy goes on for at least another two years, where does the national team go from here?
Solution Number One -Tuchel Must Regain The Players’ Trust
Thomas Tuchel was brought in to do one job. Win the World Cup. Evidently, he hasn’t done that, and the even more brutal fact is that he has made no further progress than Gareth Southgate, even if the official rankings say he did with a third place finish. In Southgate’s first World Cup, he took a young England team, who’s last major tournament had ended in England’s most humiliating defeat ever, to the World Cup semi-finals. In his second World Cup, Southgate took a team that could genuinely win the whole tournament to the quarter-finals, where they lost to eventual finalists France, in a game where England were the better side, as a Harry Kane missed penalty cost them dearly. Tuchel failed at the first hurdle of getting further than Southgate ever did, and he did so with a much weaker performance than either of Southgate’s World Cup exits, particulalry 2022. So what now? While Tuchel’s substitutions against Argentina were shambolic to say the least, giving up any chance of having some sort of control in the game by birnging on Ezri Konsa and Dan Burn, he deserves another chance. Of course, he has had some bad losses in knockout matches, with this being the latest one, but what manager hasn’t? Tuchel is still one of the best tournament managers around, and he will most likely learn from his mistakes. It is vital that he keeps the cohesion of the team strong as England head into a home Euros in 2028 which they have every chance of winning. This tournament was not lost because Tuchel is a foreign manager, it was lost because he made bad decisions in the match, something he will learn from. What the England manager must do, however, is learn to take responsibility for his decisions, and gain the players’ trust back after making in-game decisions that clearly undermined their ability, leaving them baffled in the biggest match of their careers.
Solution Number Two – England Must Prioritise The Nations League
England have had some great results over the past five major tournaments. They have defeated the Netherlands, Germany, Croatia, Colombia and many other strong footballing nations. However, the Three Lions have yet to prove that they are in the upper echelon of the sport’s modern-day powerhouses, among the likes of Spain, Argentina and France. For Tuchel’s side to make that next step, the Nations League provides a great opportunity. Often looked down upon by English fans and English media, the Nations League gives big footballing nations a chance to test themselves in competitive matches against elite nations outside of major tournaments. For example, England’s Nations League group this year consists of the Czech Republic, a team that consistently appears at the Euros, Croatia, a team that will always provide a threat if they were an opponent in a major tournament, and Spain, the European and World Champions, and the pinnacle of international football. Two games against each of these teams, Spain in particular, will give England more experience in competitive matches against elite footballing nations, and while the pressure of a Nations League match certinly doesn’t come close to that of a major tournament knockout fixture, it won’t hurt the Three Lions to have some practice at controlling a match against a top team, given that’s what has led to their downfall in four of their last five eliminations. If England were to finish top two in their Nations League group, they would reach the knockout phase where intensity would increase and they would face other elite nations. The fact is, England have proven they can’t rely on only playing elite sides in knockout games at major competitions, because time and time again they look out of their depth in the biggest moments. The Nations League is something Tuchel needs to prioritise. It is not a time for experimenting, it is a time for building up a great team into an elite team. After a disastrous Nations League campaign in 22/23 which saw relegation, England ended up in Group B for the next edition. That meant missing out on the chance of playing top teams in the build up to the World Cup, as the finals, which England couldn’t qualify for, took place in March and June 2025, the start of Tuchel’s tenure. England could have been playing competitive games against elite teams at that time, but instead they faced, with all due respect, Albania, Latvia and Andorra in qualifiers, and then Senegal in a friendly which the Three Lions lost 3-1. The Nations League is perfect preparation for Euro 2028, England must take advantage.
Solution Number Three – Move On From Some Of The Old Guard
Excluding 1966, since 2018 England have had their best period of success in their history. At the last five major tournaments, the Three Lions have made it to the semi-final, final, quarter-final, final, semi-final. There have been a few players that have played major roles in each of those successful tournaments. John Stones is one. He played every major tournament match between 2018-2024, and made four appearances in this year’s World Cup. However, with Stones set to be 34 at Euro 2028, it is time to move on from a player that has arguably been England’s greatest modern centre back. Jordan Pickford is another man who has been a massive part of England’s deep runs in tournaments. In fact, it is fair to say that Pickford offered up a major tournament on a silver platter for his country in Euro 2020, conceding just two goals the entire tournament, and saving two penalties in a shootout in the final, which England lost. Having said that, however, it is time for England to move on. Too many times has Pickford been beaten at range in major tournaments, with the Enzo Fernandes equaliser in this year’s semi-final the latest example. In addition to that, Pickford limits England’s outfield play with his poor range of passing, and his desire to go long too often. Pickford may well have a case for being England’s greatest ever goalkeeper, but every player’s time comes to move on, and that time has come for England’s number one of the past five tournaments. Some players from that 2018 World Cup squad certainly still have more to give. Harry Kane could potentially win this year’s Ballon d’Or. Marcus Rashford has had a career rejuvination at Barcelona. Both could appear at Euro 2028, and Rashford certainly has a shot at the World Cup in 2030. Kane, however, is in a race against time to make an appearance at his fourth World Cup. By the time the next World Cup rolls around, England’s all-time top goalscorer will be 36. England must be ruthless, however. If Kane or Rashford aren’t cutting it before either of the next two major tournaments because of their age, then they should not be picked, no matter how much success they have had for the national team over the past five tournaments.
Solution Number Four – Be Patient
Probably the last thing any England fan wants to hear after a fifth straight gut-wrenching elimination, and now 60 years without a major trophy, is ‘be patient.’ However, the fact is every sign points to the fact that England will get over the line soon and end their drought. St George’s Park, the new training facility of English football, opened in 2012. While there have been some rocky moments since then to say the least, England have had unprecedented success at every level of football in the 14 years since the new facility opened. Firstly, looking at the Women’s side of the game, the Lionesses have made a World Cup final and won two European Championships in the last seven years alone. Then we turn to the male side. In 2014, England Under-17s were European Champions. In 2017, England’s male youth teams had an incredible year, with the Under-17s now conquering the global stage with a World Cup win. The Under-20s also stood atop the world with a World Cup victory of their own. That same year, the Under-19s won the Euros for the first time in over two decades. In 2022, the Under-19s were European Champions again. A year later, the Under-21s were champions of the continent, and they repeated their success in 2025. The system is working. Of course, the only male team not mentioned in that list of accomplishments is the senior team, but no one can deny they have been knocking on the door, making the last two Euros finals having never made one before, and making two out of the last three World Cup semi-finals, having only made two in their history before 2018. It is hard to be level-headed after a World Cup semi-final loss, especially in the manner England went out, but the time will come when the Men’s Senior Team will win a trophy, all the signs are there. It is easy to question things such as who will be England’s striker in the next World Cup, but while there are no names now, one will emerge because the system is working, evidenced by the success throughout England’s national teams. At the start of the 2018 World Cup, Jude Bellingham was 14 and was over a year away from making his senior debut for Birmingham City, and four and a half years later he was one of England’s best players at the 2022 World Cup. In the summer of the World Cup in 2014, Harry Kane was completely unknown having scored just three goals in 10 Premier League appearances the previous season. In the 2018 World Cup he won the golden boot. The examples are endless but it is best to use England’s two best players. The success will come for the Three Lions, it is simply a matter of when, not if.