2026 World Cup: World Cup winner slams countryman Tuchel’s tactics in England’s loss to Argentina

Germany legend and 2014 World Cup winner Thomas Müller has launched a blistering critique of his countryman Thomas Tuchel's defensive tactics after England crashed out of the 2026 World Cup semifinals.

The Three Lions surrendered a hard-fought second-half lead to holders Argentina, who pulled off a stunning 2-1 comeback victory in Atlanta.

England took a deserved lead in the 55th minute when Anthony Gordon clinically finished at the back post, meeting an inviting cross from Morgan Rogers.

However, rather than building on their advantage, Tuchel opted for an extremely passive defensive posture. The English side retreated into a low defensive block, a move that handed Argentina complete dominance over the flow of play.

Reacting to the defeat in a video posted on his Instagram account, Müller, who previously played under Tuchel at Bayern Munich, expressed his complete disbelief at how the English coaching staff chose to manage the final stages of the match:

"I cannot believe and understand how England approached this game after they're leading. I cannot understand how they invited Argentina to play one cross after the other in perfect crossing positions," Muller said in a video on social media

Tuchel's decision to shift into a back-five and introduce defensive reinforcements failed to contain the mounting pressure, as Argentina controlled an astonishing 88% of possession after going behind.

The passive setup eventually crumbled five minutes from time when Enzo Fernandez initiated the fightback with a spectacular 25-yard equaliser.

With England reeling and pinned deep in their own territory, Lionel Messi turned provider once again, setting up Lautaro Martínez to seal the turnaround.

While Argentina march on to Sunday's highly anticipated final against Spain, Tuchel and his squad are left to regroup for a third-place playoff against France amid heavy criticism over their conservative tactical choices.