Thomas Tuchel’s 2026 World Cup as England manager simulated to predict squad and results

Thomas Tuchel has been announced as the new England manager, so we simulated the German as the Three Lions boss to see what could happen.

Thomas Tuchel has officially become the new England manager, but what could happen with the German in charge at the 2026 World Cup?

After leading England to the Euro 2024 final in the summer, Gareth Southgate stepped down as England’s manager earlier this year, ending his eight-year tenure as the Three Lions boss. With the 2026 World Cup the next major tournament for England to prepare for, the search for a new permanent manager has concluded with the appointment of Tuchel.

The German manager had been on England’s shortlist since July, and the England hierarchy has now made the former Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain boss the new manager of England. Tuchel has been out of management since May after spending 14 months with Bayern Munich, and he will become the first non-English manager to take charge of England since Fabio Capello in 2011.

So, with Tuchel in charge, what could the 2026 World Cup look like for England? Let’s take a look.

We simulated the 2026 World Cup with Thomas Tuchel as England manager

To set up the simulation, we used Football Manager 2024 to simulate forward to January 1, 2025 before officially appointing Tuchel as the new England boss. We then simulated forward to 2026 to see how the German could do at the 2026 World Cup, and who he would select for his squad.

In the build-up to the 2026 World Cup, Tuchel failed to lose a single game as England boss, with the Three Lions having a 100% win record ahead of the international tournament. Tuchel’s side were drawn into Group F of the World Cup alongside Peru, Saudi Arabia, and Senegal.

Here’s the 26-man squad Tuchel selected for the 2026 World Cup:

• Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, James Trafford
• Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, Rico Lewis, Luke Shaw, Ben White, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Jarell Quansah, Levi Colwill
• Midfielders: Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount, Angel Gomes, Curtis Jones
• Attackers: Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon, Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins, Liam Delap

England were nothing short of incredible in the group stages, with the Three Lions winning all three games with a +13 goal difference. Goals from Reece James, Mason Mount and Bukayo Saka secured a 3-0 win over Peru, Harry Kane grabbed a hat-trick in a 5-2 win over Senegal, and they ended with a whopping 7-0 win over Saudi Arabia, with Jude Bellingham, Kane, and Phil Foden all scoring braces.

With a new structure in place for the 2026 World Cup, an extra round took place before the Round of 16, with England drawing Egypt. Once again, the Three Lions eased their way through to the next round, winning 4-0.

Next up for England was a clash against the United States in the Round of 16, and their impressive defensive record continued as they won 3-0 against one of the host nations, with Foden, Kane, and Liam Delap all getting on the scoresheet. The Three Lions were drawn against Italy in the Round of 16, and this proved to be their toughest test yet.

Jack Grealish scored in the 78th minute to make it 1-1 and take the game to extra-time, but after a tense 30 minutes, the clash went to penalties. Mount missed from the spot, but two saves from Jordan Pickford helped England win 8-7 in the shootout.

The win over Italy set up a clash against a Cristiano Ronaldo-less Portugal in the semi-finals, but this proved to be the final hurdle for Tuchel’s side, as they fell to a 3-1 defeat against the eventual winners of the competition. The Three Lions secured third place though, beating Spain 3-0 in the third-place Playoff.

Overall FM24 predicts that if Tuchel was to become the next England manager, the German could help make the Three Lions one of the most dominant and exciting teams to watch in world football, but that major trophy evaded them once again as they could only reach the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup.

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