Football
Thomas Tuchel starts work as England boss on January 1 with World Cup 2026 qualifiers vs Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra from March; German coach answers key questions on Harry Kane, Cole Palmer, tournament ambitions and more in Sky Sports interview…
Friday 13 December 2024 19:26, UK
Thomas Tuchel spoke to Sky Sports News‘ chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol after the 2026 World Cup qualifying draw and answered questions on a range of big talking points about him taking over as England head coach – including whether Harry Kane would remain a first-choice and captain.
England’s record scorer came in for criticism during Euro 2024 and was named on the bench by interim boss Lee Carsley for the must-win Nations League match in Greece last month.
Read on to see what we learned from Tuchel about his view on Kane and his role in the squad, plus his verdict on Chelsea hotshot Cole Palmer, England’s World Cup qualifying group opponents, where he will be based when he starts work from January 1 and whether he has had handover conversations with Carsley and former Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate…
Kane looks set to remain captain and regular starter under Tuchel…
“There’s no need at the moment to look at other options. It’s like for Harry for everyone else as well, we totally… I admire him, for his quality, for his leadership, for his character. The players decide in the end if they play or they don’t play, it’s always like that.
“I’m happy to have this group of players, including Harry, big personalities and quality. The job now is to find and build the best group that people are excited to watch us, that they feel inspired watching this team.”
Tuchel will be a high-profile presence at Premier League games from January…
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“You will see me in stadiums from January, yes. Work starts from the signature because you get engaged [in the project] and today [the draw] was the kick off for the World Cup campaign so obviously we have to be there.”
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But where will he be based?
“I will not tell you my address! Otherwise you’ll be in front of my house every week! I like you but not so much!
“Of course we will be very regularly in St George’s Park [the FA’s national football centre] because this is where our base is and this is where we want to create an atmosphere and this is where we are happy to engage with all the people who work for the FA. We want to interact with them, we want to use quality and feel the place.
“We will watch a lot of matches starting in January. I want to see the matches live, I will speak to the players – but also not interfere too much because they are players of the clubs and should focus on that. You will see us in stadiums a lot from January onwards.”
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What did he think of England’s Nations League performances under Lee Carsley in November, when they beat Greece and Republic of Ireland to win promotion back to the top tier?
“Of course I watched the games, I wished Lee all the best and sent congratulations after. I’m happy because I thought the decision was always right that Lee does the full campaign and let him finish the job. He did excellent, the players did excellent.
“It was difficult because they had a lot of injuries and they needed a result desperately in Greece. They delivered and got the job done. Congratulations, well done. We watched on the television.”
Did England look like World Cup winners?
“I knew this before and watching the matches, we have the players, the talent and the characteristics to go far. But now, first of all, we have to prove it in the qualifiers. It gets closer and closer, the gaps between the big nations and the smaller nations. It closes every tournament. It’s more difficult to win your games, so we have to show full respect and show our top level from March when it starts.”
How does Cole Palmer fit into a Thomas Tuchel England side?
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“That’s a bit too far, going into individual players! But he is definitely on form, I think everyone would agree on that. Hopefully he can still grow and keep the level up. Everyone enjoys watching him. He’s cool, composed, he’s very clinical in finishing and assisting. Very impressive at the moment.”
There has been no big handover from Carsley – and no Three Lions dossier!
“We exchanged messages but there is no such thing as a famous dossier! We will work from January in St George’s and I hope it becomes very regular and normal that we meet and we have an exchange because I’m interested in his point of view about the nominations [selections], about the games, about the potential in the group and how he felt the group and his experiences. We will stay in contact. He is U21 coach so very close to me and we have enough time from January [to talk].”
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A catch-up with Gareth Southgate is likely in 2025, too…
“Not yet. But still that is to come. He’s a gentleman and we met before when I was at Chelsea. It was a pleasure to talk to him. Why shouldn’t I?”
Tuchel won’t be taking England’s World Cup qualifying opponents lightly, with Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra drawn to play the Three Lions…
“I have huge respect for Serbia and Albania. They can always surprise. They have a strong history of football, of technical football, of emotional crowd and emotional players and emotional groups. They have famous ex-players as coaches so we should be very aware of that.
“England never played Latvia, so this is a new experience for all of us, and then we have Andorra where we are huge favourites but we have to qualify, this is the most important thing. This is where all the focus goes. There cannot be any other approach than taking it seriously, take it with respect and make it happen before we can dream the dream.”
And finally, don’t expect him to start wearing suits…
[Speaking in a smart suit] – “Things change! An FA tie, even! It feels comfortable. It will not be my look on the sideline. I need more freedom to move around. But for the occasion it was nice to wear!”
The 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup takes place from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
The tournament will take place across 16 cities in three North American countries: the United States, Canada and Mexico. It is the first time a World Cup has been hosted by three nations.
The last time North America hosted the tournament was in 1994, when Brazil triumphed after beating Italy on penalties.
An expanded World Cup will feature 48 teams – 16 more than in Qatar 2022 – and take place across three host nations for the first time.
Only three teams so far are sure of their place at the finals: the hosts USA, Canada and Mexico.
The full fixture list with group games and kick-off times will only be available after the draw for the final tournament, which FIFA says is expected to take place towards the end of 2025.
But FIFA has already announced key dates and confirmed that the opening match will be held in Mexico City, with the final taking place at the New York New Jersey Stadium – home of the New York Giants and New York Jets.
Group stage: June 11-27 Round of 32: June 28 to July 3 Round of 16: July 4-7 Quarter-finals: July 9-11 Semi-finals: July 14-15 Third-place play-off (‘Bronze final’): July 18 Final: July 19
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