15/07/2026

SPORTS WEDNESDAY | JULY 15, 2026

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2026 WORLD CUP

Thomas the think tank German coach Tuchel is England’s World Cup mastermind T HOMAS TUCHEL (pic) was hired by England as head coach with a simple brief: win the 2026 World Cup. So far, so good as they pre pare to take on Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the semifinals. The German has overseen a largely Tuchel arrived as one of the big beasts of world football, with league titles at PSG and Bayern Munich under his belt. His crowning glory was Chelsea’s 2021 Champions League win in Porto, where he outsmarted then Manchester City man ager Pep Guardiola. Tuchel picked a team of “specialists” choices. The Three Lions arrived at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States as one of the favourites and so far the England boss has got his big calls right. Substitute Anthony Gordon set up both

Kane rubbishes claims of rift in squad CAPTAIN Harry Kane has dismissed the idea of division in the England squad, insisting there is “complete togetherness” ahead of the World Cup semifinal with Argentina. England booked their place in the last four by grinding out a 2-1 extra-time win over Norway in the extreme Miami heat, with Jude Bellingham hit ting back at Thomas Tuchel’s post-match assess ment that they had not played well. The Real Madrid star scored twice to drag his side through and appeared to question Tuchel by suggesting “he doesn’t know what it’s like to play in those kind of conditions”. But Kane rubbished the idea of a rift in the camp and told BBC Sport : “When you are playing a game like that and to be asked a question five minutes after the final whistle, and he didn’t really know what the man ager has said, what do you want Jude to say? “We had just been through a battle. It was really tough out there. It is easy to try and create this division – it seems like an English mentality, an English thing to do at these major tournaments. “But it is the complete opposite. The group is where we are because of our togetherness – not just the players, the coach and the staff. Things sometimes get made out to be more than they are.” Kane accepts Tuchel’s straight-talking manner is what makes him an elite coach, but insists the German has been positive with the squad. “We understand it. Players on the pitch know more than anyone when you are playing well, when you are not playing well, that is part and parcel of football,” he added. “We understand what the boss meant, the boss has been so complimentary of the group. “He said the mentality of the group, which is sometimes the hardest part, has been at the highest, highest level and we have been for some time now. “He wears his heart on his sleeve and people appreciate that. When he talks, it is never scripted. That is what makes him who he is.”– The Independent BY JONATHAN VEAL

goals for Harry Kane as England came from behind to avoid an embarrassing defeat against DR Congo in the last 32. In the following round he threw on a clutch of defenders as his 10 men held out for a 3-2 win at the Estadio Azteca. One of the enduring images from the game in Mexico was of giant defender Dan Burn clearing the ball again and again as Tuchel’s team held firm, perfectly illustrat ing his ideal of a “brotherhood”. Tuchel started his first international coaching job in January 2025 after signing an 18-month contract. The German said at the start of his reign that his aim was to add a “second star” to go with the one that represents England’s sole World Cup success, in 1966. He convinced his bosses that he was the man for the job and penned a new deal to lead the team to the Euro 2028 tournament in the United Kingdom and Ireland. England have rarely hit the heights dur ing the current tournament but have found a way each time and have made no secret of the fact they are here to win. The next step is a tough test against a battle-hardened Argentina tomorrow (3am), before a potential final against France or Spain. Tuchel is two games away from glory and ultimate vindication. – AFP

happy camp, dancing with his players in the dressing room in Mexico City after their battling win against the co-hosts. But his tone changed following Sunday’s 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Norway, when he described his team as “lucky”. “The result is fantastic. The last four is amazing, but I’m not happy with the per formance,“ he said. That downbeat assessment drew a stinging retort from midfielder Jude Bellingham, who scored twice as England came from behind. “Whatever, whatever,“ said the Real Madrid midfielder after a gru elling 120 minutes in the searing Miami heat. The pair have a complicated his tory, but the exchange was a stark reminder that Tuchel will not shy away from speaking his mind. The 52-year-old will not care that he has riled Bellingham, who has scored six goals and once again proved himself to be England’s man for the big moment. The Football Association knew who it was getting when it hired the former Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss to replace Gareth Southgate in 2024. Southgate had reshaped the team dur ing his largely successful tenure, breaking down barriers between players from rival clubs and forging a cohesive unit. But his team never got over the line – defeated in the semifinals and quarterfi nals at the World Cup and twice los ing in the final of the Euros. The blunt and charismatic England to make late call on Rice

for the 2026 World Cup, raising eyebrows by leaving out a number of high-profile players including Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold. He admitted he relished the pressure of making big decisions as was grilled on his

‘Streetwise’ Lions will maintain discipline, says Pickford

England ‘keeper Jordon Pickford – REUTERSPIC

the illness, England med ics are set to make a late call on his availabil ity. And Tuchel will

ENGLAND will make a late decision on whether Declan Rice is fit to start the World Cup semi-final against Argentina. But there remains opti mism the Arsenal midfielder can shake off the effects of an illness to play tomorrow. Rice, who suffered with a sickness bug in the lead-up to Sunday’s quarterfinal vic tory over Norway in Miami, was substituted at halftime. Head coach Thomas Tuchel admitted afterwards that Rice had spent three days in bed before the match, which England won 2-1 after extra-time. It is understood Rice still has not recovered fully from the illness – picked up in Mexico, where England beat the co-hosts 3-2 in the last 16 – but his condition has improved markedly over the past 48 hours. As thlings stand, there is growing hope he will be well enough to start in Atlanta. Rice is almost cer tain to rule himself fit for the semifinal given the enormity of the occasion. But given the severity of

“Everyone will talk about Messi because he’s one of the Goats (great est of all time) of the game,” he said. “But you can’t look past the ability and the talent we’ve got in the squad – going forward, defensively, togeth erness. We’ve got it all there and that’s what we need to put on a show tomorrow.” The history of matches between England and Argentina is peppered with incidents, set against a lingering sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, known in Spanish as the Malvinas, in the South Atlantic Ocean. The most famous encounter between the teams was a 2-1 victory for Argentina at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico featuring two goals from Diego Maradona – one the infamous “Hand of God” goal and the other a dazzling solo effort considered one of the best ever. But the historical background is of little relevance to Pickford as England seek to get over the line in a major tournament for the first time since 1966. “It’s us against them to get a place in the final, and it’s a game of foot ball … 90 minutes, 120, penalties,” he said. “We’re ready for anything, and it’s us against them and it’s about who comes out on top. We’re fully pre pared for that.” – AFP

ENGLAND goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is confident his team will keep their cool in the heat of tomorrow’s World Cup semifinal against Argentina. The rivalry between the two teams is one of the spiciest in world football, influenced by events on and off the pitch. Pickford said England had largely avoided flashpoints during the 2026 tournament and can cope with the pressure. “I think you’ve seen throughout the tournament our desire to win tackles. We’ve not got into any scuffles or any thing,” he said yesteray at England’s training base in Kansas City. “We’ve been very well respected within the game. Decisions go our way, they don’t go our way, we just reset, we go again and we let the football do the talking. “I think that’s what we’ve done throughout the tournament. Apart from Jarell (Quansah’s red card in Mexico), we’ve not had any suspensions, no sec ond yellow cards or anything like that.” Lionel Messi will be the focus in the build-up to the

wait to see how rapidly his condi tion improves before making a final decision on whether to pick him. In addition to his recovery from the sickness bug, Rice has also been carrying a neural problem for several months, affecting his lower back and hamstring. The midfielder, who has 78 caps, has started all but one of England’s World Cup games so far, missing the 2-0 group-stage

win over Panama because of an injury flare-up. – Agencies

semifinal in Atlanta but Everton goalkeeper Pickford talked up England’s own stars.