Read 3 minutesUpdated: 15 July 2026 02:29 PM IST
Following Thomas Tuchel’s controversial comments following the quarter-final against Norway, the German manager said he met with the England team on Sunday night to clear the air.
England’s win against Norway sparked a media frenzy centered on Tuchel’s post-match comments. The manager labeled his team’s performance as “sloppy”, claiming they were not “quick enough” with “a lot of technical errors”. Shortly after, Jude Bellingham, scorer of the match-winning brace, expressed his disagreement during an interview, countering, “Maybe he doesn’t know what it’s like to play in those conditions.”
Speaking to the media ahead of the semi-final against holders Argentina, Tuchel made it clear he had “no problem” with the midfielder’s comments. “I think we come from the same place,” said the Champions League-winning manager. “Our comments come from the same place, from being competitive and having an edge when the competition is on.”
While criticizing some elements of Saturday’s performance, Tuchel also praised the team’s effort and mentality, aiming to reinforce a positive message and refocus their minds on the match. “I spoke to the whole team afterwards in the dressing room, which was basically the same message,” he explained.
Tuchel admitted the pressure was on Bellingham and the rest of the squad after enduring 120 minutes in the sweltering Miami heat, only to criticize their manager for being sloppy in their performance. Discussing how Bellingham was questioned about those comments, Tuchel explained, “Of course, I probably bite back when I come in 120 minutes, score two goals, literally give everything I have in my body. It’s a very normal thing, a very normal reaction for a player of his mentality.”
He went on to emphasize, “(Bellingham) just faced the negative side, criticized me often. I called him a world-class player, I said he did world-class actions again to decide the match. I said the mentality of this team is excellent. It’s not all part of the question. I get it.”
Tuchel praised Argentina’s performance in the tournament, particularly their resilience. “They are almost the same group as they were four years ago. You can see the unity, you can see the sacrifice they put into it. They don’t panic when they are behind. They believe in their style. And their style is a very emotional style. It was in Qatar and it is now.”
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If England beat Argentina, they will reach the World Cup final for the second time in their history. Their last and only appearance in the final was in 1966, which they won 4–2 after extra time against West Germany.