Thomas Tuchel admits England tenure will be over if 2026 World Cup is a 'failure'

Thomas Tuchel has admitted he will not stay on as England manager beyond the 2026 World Cup if the tournament is deemed "a failure".

Tuchel was appointed England boss on an 18-month contract, starting January 1, this month, and is "absolutely open" that his remit in the job is is nothing less than to "put a second star on the shirt" by going all the way in Canada, the USA and Mexico.

The German has not spent more than two years at a club since he left Mainz a decade ago and acknowledged that his England spell could be similarly short-lived if the team does not meet their lofty expectations at the World Cup.

Asked if the tournament would be 'win or bust', Tuchel said: "I don’t know, it depends.

"I know what you’re saying, no, it’s not a gamble, but we speak it out now very clearly why we are here and what we want to achieve. We are not shy of it.

"We are absolutely open about it. It does not help the more often we speak about it, but it should be out there and then we can set the standards and set the values and principles because then we have to live up to them for 18 months.

"Let’s judge it when we have done it. If we decide it was a failure, then we will not continue. If we decide it was not a failure, then we will continue. Let’s see.

"No one can predict the future. It feels absolutely right for me to do so, it feels clear and it feels easy for me to explain. When it’s easy to explain, it’s normally good.”

Tuchel's predecessor Gareth Southgate oversaw back-to-back defeats in the finals of the last two European Championships, with England losing on penalties to Italy four years ago and going down to a late Spain goal in July.

"I think it's just nuances, it's just details," said Tuchel, when asked why England have not won a senior men's trophy since 1966.

"If you lose on penalties in a final, who would I be to say I know what you did wrong when you were there. You were there. We or they have been in two finals I think. Semi-finals and quarter-finals [of the last two World Cups]. Lost each of them very, very closest, each of them could have gone either way.

"The genuine belief is that we are there, that we are ready."

Southgate was frequently accused of prioritising results over style of play but Tuchel believes his side will need a balance of both, and says he wants to play attacking football with a characteristically English focus on the "physical side of the game”.

“Our style of play has to bring us results," he said. "We are playing with players for the best league and the biggest competition in the world.

"We have a group of young hungry players. We are desperate to win a title, so we have all the ingredients, so I think we should try to implement this into our style of play.

"I think we should play an attacking style of football and we should try to emphasise a physical side of the game because this is what English football is all about and this is what excites our supporters, and this is what suits the players.”

Tuchel, who spent 18 months in charge of Chelsea until September 2022, has a home in London and revealed he would live between England and Germany, where his family will remain.

"I love to live in England and I am looking forward to living in England again," he said. "I want to be close to the Premier League and I want to be close to the majority of the players. But of course the schedule will obviously allow me to be close to my family, my children, in Germany."

Asked what he loved about England, he added: "It’s the country, it’s the humour, it’s the way of life, it’s the attitude from the supporters to the game and what they demand from the players.

"I said it many times, it shapes the character of the players, how they live their expression, how they approach their training towards a team effort. For me it was a one of a kind experience. To breathe that again is a big privilege. I am very happy to be back."