Thomas Tuchel, the coach of England's national team, spoke after their victory over Panama to win Group L at the 2026 World Cup.
Thomas Tuchel, England's national team manager, said his team is ready to face anyone after a 2-0 win over Panama secured their place in the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup as Group L champions.
Goals from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane helped England secure victory in their final Group L match, increasing their points to 7 and achieving the group championship as planned.
Although the opponent for the round of 32 is still unknown, Tuchel said he is prepared to face any team, explaining that playing against strong teams will help the team improve.
"The tournament starts anew in the knockout stage. Now we must gather our strength and energy and continue building the team from what we have — the team spirit, the confidence — and we will take the next step. The bigger the matches, the better we will become."
When asked about the win over Panama, Tuchel said, "We did what we had to do. As expected, it was a tough match against a strong opponent, with few scoring chances. We were the only team to create that many chances and managed to score 2 goals."
"We played very aggressively and had to be cautious of their counterattacks because they are strong. Overall, we did well and deserved to win, but it was definitely a difficult task."
Additionally, Tuchel praised Jude Bellingham, who scored and assisted and earned the player of the match award, saying, "He played well again. We’re pleased he is in this form. But everyone did what was needed, and Jude played a very important role."