It’s always about him. Not his strategy, but his actions. His passport. His nationality. Its perceived symbolism.
A curious lens tuned to aperture and ISO perfection would have chosen to capture the Harry Kane of a generation when the Dallas Stadium speakers chanted ‘God Save the King’ before England’s 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against Croatia. Or Jude Bellingham. Maybe, even a Declan Rice. Still, almost every camera panned in one direction—towards him. Thomas Tuchel. The result of the match was important. More important was whether England’s German manager would sing the national anthem.
And yet, it’s never about him. He could have done so with a performance speech after England’s 2-1 win over DR Congo in the Round of 32. He could have joined the England players in their customary rendition of Wonderwall by Oasis. Echoing the Gallaghers humming pro-Empire tunes wouldn’t pose the same question. He didn’t. Tuchel is a master of deflection.
In the post-match press conference, he was informed that on this occasion England won their first World Cup, breaking a six-decade deficit. As poetic as it may be, an earlier example was the 1966 final, against West Germany – a place Tuchel calls home. Tuchel attributed the win to everything under the sun, but him. The determination of his team, the commitment of the players, the finishing of Harry Kane and the tactical skills of his assistant Anthony Barry. He is a self-proclaimed introvert, and it reflects in the room.
But not on the touchline. When referee Adham Makhdameh blew the whistle for a second hydration break, Tuchel’s arms flailed and suggestions flew as the players gathered around him. There were barely 25 minutes left to clinch the World Cup for England. And defend, they did.
The tactics started backfiring. Congo had a numerical dominance in midfield and broke all central passing lines for England. Ngal’ayel Mukau was initiated with a specific purpose – to stop the breath of the channel. After the match, coach Sébastien Desabre revealed that the plan was designed to neutralize the conductor of Tuchel’s orchestra. No Ken. Not Bellingham. Elliott Anderson.
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No England player has attempted more line breaks in this World Cup than Anderson. He was the origin of these attacks. England were funneled wide, relying on frequent crosses, as Anderson crowded. Notably from the right, Congo had 32-year-old Arthur Masuaku on the left, who had seen better days in the game.
A change in plans necessitated a change in personnel. DJ Spence, who started in the right-back role in the absence of Reece James, attempted just two crosses in 122 minutes at the World Cup. Meanwhile, Declan Rice had already delivered 20 – almost twice as many as any other England player. Rice moved to the right and Spence left for Ebere’s ease.
A swift move produced two advantages. As Arsenal’s corner specialist, Rice’s delivery offered immediate quality, while Tuchel also assembled a familiar triangle. Eze, Rice and Bukayo Saka all play for the same club. The recognition earned England the prized equaliser: Saka to Ize, Ize to Rice, Rice’s cross finds Anthony Gordon before the ball reaches Kane.
Asked why Rhys was moved to the right, Tuchel said: “To put his quality on the side and get more difficult crosses in there. It makes it more difficult to defend. We have more connections on the right. It (the game) opens up.”
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On that side, his timely switch to wingers also paid dividends. Gordon and Saka provided life after replacing Marcus Rashford and Nony Maduke. The obvious question then came: why not start them?
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Tuchel explained: “We are always clear that we want to finish with fresh legs on the wings – Anthony and Bucayo. After 60-70 minutes, we come with fresh legs.”
Despite watching what would have been an embarrassment for the ages, Tuchel claimed he was calm at the half-time break. He did not try to teach tactics.
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Instead, he had a simple task for his players. “Keep hitting the rock hard. You’ve got to keep hitting, keep hitting, keep hitting.” Ken and his team did accordingly. They knocked until Congo’s resilience broke.
The game wasn’t perfect, but Tuchel had foreseen that. “This is not a moment for a glamorous performance, this is a moment to get the job done,” he had said.
England is not glamorous. By any stretch of the imagination. But, they are getting the job done.