Thomas Tuchel, the newly appointed manager of the England national team, is already dreaming big ahead of the 2026 World Cup. According to football pundit and former Premier League player, Nedum Onuoha, Tuchel “ideally wants” to see England face off against Germany in the World Cup final.
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Tuchel, who has a storied career that includes managing top clubs like Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, was recently confirmed as the new head coach of the Three Lions. The German will officially take charge on January 1, 2025, becoming only the third foreign coach in England’s history. His appointment has sparked a mix of reactions, with some praising his elite managerial skills while others questioned the Football Association’s (FA) decision not to hire an Englishman.
One major point of contention for some critics has been Tuchel’s nationality, given the fierce rivalry between England and Germany in international football. Despite this, Tuchel has expressed in previous interviews that he feels more “appreciated” in England than in his home country of Germany. This sentiment might help explain his enthusiasm for leading England on the world stage.
Onuoha, a former England U21 international, weighed in on Tuchel’s aspirations during an appearance on Footy Accumulators’ No Tippy Tappy Football podcast. The pundit shared his belief that Tuchel’s passion for English football now outweighs his connection to German football.
“For Tuchel, I think the love that he has for German Football is probably not as big as the love that he has for England from what I’ve heard,” Onuoha said. He added that Tuchel’s situation in German football may have contributed to this shift, particularly as the next German national team coach is likely to be Jurgen Klopp, following Julian Nagelsmann’s tenure.
Onuoha also commented on Tuchel’s competitive nature, saying, “Tuchel’s got a little bit of edge to him so I think his ideal World Cup final would be England against Germany, and he wins it for England.”
The decision to hire Tuchel has divided opinions among English football fans. Onuoha pointed out that there is often a lack of support for English managers, referencing the criticism Gareth Southgate faced despite leading the team to impressive results in recent years.
“Overall, the English public doesn’t have a belief in their English managers,” Onuoha stated. He suggested that English fans tend to follow certain narratives without fully considering the bigger picture, especially when it comes to selecting a national team manager.
Reflecting on Southgate’s tenure, Onuoha noted, “You could have someone like Southgate come in but does that give the nation what they want or will they be critical again because lots of people didn’t like Gareth Southgate? But objectively, the opportunities that England had while he was in charge were better than any we’ve seen since 1966.”
As Tuchel prepares to take the reins, expectations will be high, and fans will be keen to see whether the German manager can deliver the ultimate dream: leading England to World Cup glory, potentially in a dramatic final showdown against his home country.
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