Thomas Tuchel believes England will go into the 2026 World Cup as “underdogs” and says they have “no chance” of succeeding unless they unite as a team.
England have reached successive European Championship finals but have not gone beyond the semi-finals at a World Cup since winning the competition in 1966.
The Three Lions, who lost against France in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup, will qualify for next year’s edition in North America if they beat Latvia in Riga on Tuesday.
“We will arrive as underdogs in the World Cup because we haven’t won it for decades, and we will play against teams who have repeatedly won it during that time, so we need to arrive as a team; otherwise, we have no chance,” Tuchel said.
Speaking about his team selection for the current international break, he added: “We try to collect the guys who in the end have the glue and cohesion to be the best team, because we need to arrive [at the World Cup] with the best team.”
Tuchel, 52, took charge of England in January and has won five of his six games, with his sole defeat coming in a friendly against Senegal.
The German has worked with his players across three camps and has just two more before they head off for the World Cup.
He was handed an 18-month contract, with the primary goal of leading England to World Cup glory.
“If you’ve never won Wimbledon, you may be one of the favourites, but you are not the favourite,” Tuchel said.
“You can go, and if you come close, OK, you are within the pool, but you are not the favourite. It is just how it is.
“There is Brazil, there is Argentina, Spain, France, and they just did it recently.
“It doesn’t mean we have no chance, and we know very well. First, we will qualify, and then we will know exactly why we go there.”
Tuchel gets his latest opportunity to cast an eye over his options when England play Wales in a friendly on Thursday, and then Latvia in a World Cup qualifier on 14 October.
But the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager omitted Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden, who were regulars under Gareth Southgate, from his latest squad, while Reece James has dropped out with an injury.
Talisman Harry Kane will also sit out the friendly with Wales with a foot problem but is expected to return against Latvia.
Former boss Southgate created a tight-knit squad during his tenure – something former captain Steven Gerrard said wasn’t the case during his time with the ‘Golden Generation’ – and Tuchel wants to ensure that spirit remains.
“Let’s go step by step and it just buys into the other step. We build a team that is ready to go step by step and play as a team, and no one wants hopefully to play against us,” Tuchel said.
“When I hear people talking about their titles in international football or their missed chances I always hear the same song: we have been a team or we haven’t been a team. It is always the same song in international football.
“I also think it is the same headline in club football, but even more if you stick together 24/7 for a nine-day period, and then, as long as possible in America, you have to be a group, you have to be a strong group.”
Will England really be underdogs?
ByAndy Cryer
BBC Sport Senior Journalist
Tuchel is obviously correct when he states the men’s side haven’t won a major trophy for decades, and that rivals have won it numerous times since England’s 1966 triumph.
There have been six different winners of the World Cup since England’s sole World Cup win, with three of those winning it three times and two others twice.
But does that really make England underdogs? On form, you would have to suggest not.
Tuchel’s men are ranked fourth in the world, only behind Spain, France and Argentina, and are topping their qualification group with a perfect record after five matches.
They have been losing finalists in the past two European Championships, while their record of a semi-final and a quarter-final in the past two World Cups is not too shabby either.
Tuchel’s underdog claim makes a lot more sense, though, if you take the expected weather conditions into account across Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Extreme heat is expected to be a factor during the tournament, with players from Europe expected to feel the effect in particular.
Ten of the 11 World Cups held in Europe have been won by European teams, but it is a completely different story when the tournament is played in the Americas.
Each of the seven tournaments hosted there had featured a South American winner, until Germany broke the streak in 2014, and since then Argentina won in the heat of Qatar.
Spain were the first European team to win the World Cup outside the continent, when they lifted the trophy in South Africa in 2010.
In that respect, Tuchel has a fair point when he states England should not be classed as favourites for the tournament – although factors like late kick-off times and stadium cooling systems could bring some mitigation.
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