Thomas Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel is the head coach of the England national team and leads the Three Lions at the 2026 FIFA World Cup — the first German manager ever to take an English side into the tournament. Born in Krumbach, Bavaria on 29 August 1973, Tuchel's playing career was cut short by a chronic knee injury at 25. He turned that setback into a coaching apprenticeship that would carry him to the top of European football.

His club arc — Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Bayern Munich — produced a Ligue 1 title, a Bundesliga, multiple cups and, most famously, the 2021 UEFA Champions League with Chelsea, won just months after taking charge mid-season. He added the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup the same year.

The FA hired him to succeed Gareth Southgate after Euro 2024, tasked with converting England's golden generation into silverware. His qualifying campaign was steady, and his final 26-man squad — announced at Wembley on 22 May 2026 — confirmed his appetite for clear calls, leaving out Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Harry Maguire while keeping captain Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka at the core.

England open Group L against Croatia at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on 17 June, with Ghana and Panama to follow. Tuchel's mandate is unambiguous: end a 60-year wait for England's second World Cup title.