Why didn't he put Saka — Argentina players surprised by Tuchel's tactics

Argentina players were left privately stunned by manager Thomas Tuchel's defensive substitutions during England's 2-1 defeat in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final, having explicitly prepared to face a barrage of pace, according to reports. 

​The defending champions secured their spot in Sunday's final following a dramatic late comeback at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Wednesday.

​England initially took control of the tie when Anthony Gordon opened the scoring with a clinical finish in the 55th minute.

​Following the goal, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni and his coaching staff anticipated the introduction of Bukayo Saka or Noni Madueke to exploit the stretched game, per The Independent.

​The South American side had identified England's raw pace on the counter-attack as the biggest threat to their defence.

​Instead, the Argentine bench watched in surprise as Tuchel prepared a wave of defensive adjustments following the second-half hydration break.

​The German coach replaced Gordon with defender Ezri Konsa in the 72nd minute, shifting England into a deep back five to protect their slender advantage.

​Tuchel doubled down on the retreat in the 82nd minute, bringing on Dan Burn and Nico O'Reilly for Reece James and Declan Rice.

​The defensive overhaul eliminated England's out-balls, which encouraged Scaloni to adopt a more attacking approach.

​Scaloni sacrificed left-back Nicolás Tagliafico for striker Lautaro Martínez, a decision that ultimately decided the contest.

​Enzo Fernández levelled the score with a long-range drive in the 85th minute, before Martínez headed home the decisive winner deep into stoppage time.

​The statistical shift was staggering, with England managing just 12% possession between Gordon's opener and Martínez's winner.

​The Independent reported that Tuchel's tactical decisions were a major topic of discussion among the Argentina players during their post-match celebrations.

​The sentiment was also shared within the England camp. Captain Harry Kane admitted the approach was flawed, stating that trying to hold on to a 1-0 lead is not enough at the highest level.

​Centre-back Marc Guéhi echoed his captain's sentiments, explaining that the squad's mentality immediately shifted to defending as soon as they scored.

​While Argentina now advance to face Spain in the final, England will travel to face France in Saturday's third-place play-off.