Thomas Tuchel Begins Tenure as England Coach

Thomas Tuchel begins his tenure as England's head coach by attending Tottenham's Premier League match against Newcastle this Saturday, having officially started his role on January 1. As he prepares for England's 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, which kicks off on March 21 against Albania, Tuchel will assess players including James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, Anthony Gordon, and Lewis Hall. He has expanded his coaching staff, bringing in goalkeeping coach Henrique Hilario, performance coach Nicolas Mayer, and analyst James Melbourne, all of whom have previous experience with Tuchel at various clubs. Next week, Tuchel and his team will visit St George's Park, the main training base for the England squad, to hold introductory meetings. He has also expressed interest in reconnecting with Lee Carsley, who previously led the team on an interim basis. Tuchel aims to lead England to its first major trophy since 1966 after Gareth Southgate's recent successes and near misses.