Tuchel's defensive tactics cost England World Cup final spot

England were on the verge of reaching their first men's World Cup final since 1966 when Anthony Gordon put them 1-0 up against Argentina in the 55th minute. But a dramatic turnaround saw Enzo Fernandez equalize in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martinez head home a 92nd-minute winner, both goals assisted by Lionel Messi.

After taking the lead, England dropped deep and attempted to hold on, but that strategy proved costly. From the 1-0 lead until the second goal conceded, England had just 12% possession. Manager Thomas Tuchel made three defensive substitutions: Ezri Konsa replaced Gordon in the 72nd minute, followed by Dan Burn and Nico O'Reilly. Forwards Marcus Rashford and Ivan Toney were only introduced deep into stoppage time.

Former England captain Wayne Rooney said the team "crumbled" and the tactics were "too passive". Alan Shearer stated Tuchel "played his cards very, very early and it has backfired". Chris Sutton called it a "coaching catastrophe", while Joe Hart noted that Argentina showed belief while England panicked. Micah Richards argued England should have gone for a second goal.

England captain Harry Kane admitted the team tried to hold on, which is not enough at this level. Tuchel defended his choices in the post-match press conference, saying the team played one of their best matches but could not get over the line. He pointed out the squad's resilience throughout the tournament, including playing with 10 men and overcoming obstacles.

Despite reaching the semi-finals—an improvement on their 2022 quarter-final exit—Tuchel's tactics will face intense scrutiny after losing a game they led.