What happened as England nearly secured a top coach, ultimately appointing Thomas Tuchel.
On 17 July 2026, The Athletic, a leading UK sports media outlet, reported that England nearly appointed Spanish coach Pep Guardiola as manager before choosing Thomas Tuchel.
Pep Guardiola was heavily linked to taking over as England manager after Gareth Southgate resigned two years earlier, following England's narrow 1-2 loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.
The Athletic revealed that Guardiola had actually reached a verbal agreement with the Football Association (FA) and had not dismissed the possibility of managing England at that time.
However, Guardiola later changed his mind and decided to extend his contract with Manchester City during the 2024-25 season, leading the FA executives to turn to Thomas Tuchel, who was unemployed after parting ways with Bayern Munich.
Tuchel was then announced as England's new manager in October 2024 but officially began the role in January 2025.
The FA's main goal was to lead England to the 2026 World Cup final, but the team was eliminated in the semi-finals after a 1-2 defeat to Argentina. Tuchel faced heavy criticism for his tactical adjustments and defensive substitutions in the second half, which disrupted the team's balance.
Nonetheless, the FA continues to support Tuchel, recently extending his contract by two years through the end of Euro 2028.
