England coach Thomas Tuchel eyes future after 2026 World Cup semifinal exit

July 16 (UPI) -- Thomas Tuchel said he "looks forward" to his future as manager of England's national team after the Three Lions' brutal exit from the 2026 World Cup.

Tuchel, who became coach in 2024, nearly helped the Three Lions reach their second World Cup finale since 1966, but ultimately fell short through a 2-1 semifinal setback to Argentina on Wednesday in Atlanta.

Instead, they will meet France in a third-place game Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla., while Argentina faces Spain in the finale Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.

"There is still a match to play, that we are not looking so much forward to, but there is still a match to play and we keep on going," Tuchel told reporters. "I have a contract until the home Euros [in 2028], and I'm looking forward to that. Even now, it is difficult to look that far ahead."

Tuchel touted his team's effort in Wednesday's loss. The Three Lions went ahead on an Anthony Gordon score in the 55th minute. They held that lead until Argentina equalized in the 85th minute, off an assist from Lionel Messi. Messi followed with another assist of Lautaro Martinez's game-winning header in the 92nd minute.

Tuchel drew criticism Wednesday for morphing his formation to a defensive-minded shape after the Gordon goal. He replaced Gordon with defender Ezri Konsa in the 72nd minute to form a five-man back line. Meanwhile, Argentina thrived on desperation and England's safe approach, increasing their offensive aggression and dominating possession during their rally.

Tuchel attempted to salvage momentum by bringing on strikers Marcus Rashford and Ivan Toney in the final minutes, but the move occurred too late.

The coach said at his postgame news conference that his players "weren't active" or physical enough in either formation. Argentina held 88% of the possession following Gordon's goal. Tuchel said "the mindset shifted" and it felt like "dying a slow death."

"I believe that's just the nature of the game," Tuchel said. "As soon as you lose, you get criticized after. No one knows what would have happened, if we made different decisions, so it makes no sense to engage in that and lose my head. I'm responsible for them. I took them, so I take the criticism.

"That's just the way it is."

Tuchel previously considered a man-marking strategy for Messi, but his moves ultimately allowed more space for the Argentine star to control the game's tempo.

England forward Harry Kane said it was "a similar story" to the Three Lions' previous shortcomings at the tournament. They are now 0-3 in their last three World Cup semifinal appearances. The Three Lions equalized against France in the second half of a 2022 World Cup quarterfinal, but allowed a game-winning score in the 78th minute. They carried a 1-0 lead into the second half in a 2018 semifinal with Croatia, but allowed an equalizer and a stoppage-time winner for that exit.

"We are going to have to watch the game back and figure out how we can improve in those situations," Kane said. "But it's been probably the missing piece now for the last four or five tournaments."

The No. 4 Three Lions and No. 3 French will meet in the third-place match at 5 p.m. EDT Saturday at Miami Stadium. Messi and the top-ranked Argentines will battle the No. 2 Spaniards at 3 p.m. Sunday at New York-New Jersey Stadium.