Thomas Tuchel lashes out ahead of third-place match against France: ‘No one wants to play this game’

Thomas Tuchel said England doesn't want to play the third place FIFA World Cup 2026 match against France.

Updated on: Jul 17, 2026, 08:19:44 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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England's dream of bringing the FIFA World Cup 2026 trophy home crashed and burned after the loss against Argentina in the semi-final. Despite taking a 1-0 lead, England buckled under pressure, allowing Lionel Messi and co to make a comeback and seal the contest 2-1, owing to goals by Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez. However, the Three Lions still have a lot to play for as the third place in the tournament is up for grabs when England takes on France on Sunday, July 19 (IST).

Thomas Tuchel said England doesn't want to play the third-place match. (Getty Images via AFP)

However, ahead of the third-fourth place match against the Les Bleus, England coach Thomas Tuchel said that neither of the teams wants to play the game since the disappointment of missing out on the final looms large.

While England lost to Argentina, France came up short against Spain, losing the contest 2-0.

Also Read: Thomas Tuchel refuses to take blame after Argentina ends England's FIFA World Cup dream: ‘Makes no sense’

"None of our players and none of the French players want to play this match," Tuchel told reporters following the defeat against Argentina in the semi-final.

“They want to play the final. We gave everything to achieve that. Everyone plays to win the World Cup, but that’s how it is. We have one less day of recovery than France, but we will do it with professionalism,” he added.

‘Very demanding’

Tuchel, who is under fire for his defensive tactics in the World Cup semi-final, said that reaching the last four in the tournament is an achievement, as only a select few get to achieve the milestone.

“We'll have to wait four years before participating in another World Cup,” Tuchel said.

“Reaching the semi-finals is already an achievement in itself, of course. Many great footballing nations are eliminated before the semi-finals. It's an achievement, but nobody wants to hear that at the moment, myself included, because we're very demanding of ourselves,” he added.

Speaking of Tuchel, he continues to draw the ire of English fans and experts for switching to a back five in the semi-final against Argentina after Anthony Gordon's opening goal, which gave the Three Lions a lead against the Albiceleste.

Former players like Wayne Rooney have said that the defensive shift invited pressure and eventually led to Argentina's late comeback.

However, Tuchel defended his managerial choices and refused to take the blame for the loss. As of now, his future with the FA also remains safe.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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