Thomas Tuchel has officially started his role as head coach of the England men’s national team on an 18-month contract, which will last until the end of the 2026 World Cup.

0

Tuchel’s appointment, announced by the English Football Association in October, began on January 1, 2025. He will work alongside Anthony Barry, his former assistant during his time at Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

1

The former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain coach attended the 2026 World Cup qualifying draw in early December, where England was placed in a group with Serbia, Albania, Latvia, and Andorra.

2

Following the draw he said: "I have huge respect for Serbia and Albania. They can always surprise. They have a strong history of technical football, an emotional crowd and emotional players. They have two famous ex-players as coaches so we should be very aware of that.

3

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NbRDSE2wVjA

4

"England has never played Latvia so this is a new experience for all of us, and then of course we have Andorra where we are huge favourites.

5

"But we have to qualify, this is the most important thing, this is where all the focus goes. There cannot be any other approach but to take it seriously, take it with respect and make it happen before we can bring the dream.

6

"England has the players and the characteristics to go far. But now we have to prove it in the qualifiers. The gaps between the big nations closes all the time, in every tournament you see the same effect that it gets more and more difficult to win your games. First of all we have to show full respect and make sure we reach our top level from March."

7

Tuchel's opening fixture in charge will be home games against Albania and Latvia on March 21 and 24 at Wembley.

8