Thomas Tuchel: England job is win or bust – if we do not win World Cup, we will walk

Thomas Tuchel has acknowledged that his appointment as England’s permanent manager on an 18-month contract will be viewed as win or bust after he and the Football Association spelt out their intent to win the 2026 World Cup.

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said that Tuchel gives England the best chance of winning the World Cup with the German immediately revealing that his aim is to “put a second star on the shirt”.

With Tuchel not starting work until January 1, his initial 18-month contract runs to the end of the World Cup in 2026, when he accepts he will either be judged a success or a failure.

Asked if anything but winning the World Cup will be seen as failure, Tuchel said: “I don’t know. I know what you’re saying. 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.”

Contract length tailored to World Cup win

Bullingham had already made clear why Tuchel was so attractive to the FA by saying: “Our aim is always to win a major tournament and we believe that Thomas gives us the best possible chance to do that at the next men’s World Cup.”

Tuchel added: “It suited my passion to push this group of players and to be part of this federation, which has such a strong record in recent tournaments, and push it over the line and to try and put a second star on the [England] shirt.”

Tuchel won the Champions League in 2021 during his initial 18-month contract as Chelsea head coach, which he referenced when asked about the length of his England deal.

“It’s 18 months and then we agreed to sit together and we will see. I have had a good experience with 18 months personally,” said Tuchel. “I’m working on my long-term game! You never know.

“It’s a good time frame because it will help us to focus, we’ll focus on the qualification and the World Cup, it will help us in the nomination process, it will help us in the communication to the players and staff.

“This is now very streamlined and easy to explain. We’re here to work on the best possible outcome for the World Cup 2026 and then let’s see, whatever comes, comes.”

‘We should play an attacking style of football’

England reached two finals of the European Championship and a semi-final and a quarter-final of the World Cup under former manager Gareth Southgate.

Asked why England had not yet got over the line, Tuchel said: “I think it’s just nuances, it’s just details. 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. Lost each of them very, very close; each of them could have gone either way. The genuine belief is that we are there, that we are ready.”

Despite leading England to the brink of winning a trophy, Southgate was often accused of being a conservative manager for his style of play. Asked whether results or performances are more important to him, Tuchel said: “They have to be balanced and our style of play has to bring us results.

“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.

“This is then my job to find this structure, these demands, and then demand it from the players. I think we cannot only focus on the results, we cannot hide behind the certain style of play which does not give us results. It has to go hand in hand.”