Thomas Tuchel targets World Cup glory after being named England head coach

Thomas Tuchel has targeted winning the World Cup in 2026 after his appointment as the new England head coach was confirmed.

The former Chelsea, Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich manager becomes the third non-Englishman to hold the post after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.

In a video message on the England account on the social media site X, German Tuchel said: “Hi guys, Thomas here. (I’m) quite a bit nervous, it’s my first message as the English head coach.

“I’m at Wembley, where else? And there’s also a reason to be a bit nervous, I think that’s a good thing. I can promise you I’m very excited, I’m very honoured and I will do everything that we can to qualify for the World Cup first of all and then have a successful World Cup and try to get a second star on our shirt.”

The 51-year-old, who will be assisted by English coach Anthony Barry, will take up the role on January 1 ahead of the World Cup qualifying campaign after signing an 18-month deal.

In quotes on englandfootball.com, Tuchel added: “I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team.

“I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already.

“To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting.”

A Football Association statement revealed Tuchel signed a contract on October 8 – before the latest round of international fixtures – but the announcement was delayed to “minimise distraction around the international camp”.

Prior to Thursday’s home defeat by Greece, interim head coach Lee Carsley had widely been considered the favourite to land the job on a permanent basis.

The recruitment process began following Gareth Southgate’s resignation in July, with several candidates interviewed, leading to Tuchel being identified as the preferred appointment.

Carsley will remain in charge for the final round of Nations League matches next month against Greece and the Republic of Ireland before returning to his role as Under-21 boss.

Former midfielder Barry, who spent his playing career in the lower leagues, has previously worked with Tuchel at Chelsea and Bayern Munich and is currently assistant to Portugal boss Roberto Martinez.

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said: “We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world, and Anthony Barry, who is one of the best English coaches, to support him. Our recruitment process has been very thorough.

“Since Gareth resigned, we have worked through the candidate pool, meeting a number of coaches and evaluating them against that criteria.

“Thomas was very impressive and stood out with his vast expertise and his drive. Anthony is a top English talent and also has international experience with Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Portugal.

“Fundamentally, we wanted to hire a coaching team to give us the best possible chance of winning a major tournament, and we believe they will do just that. Thomas and the team have a single-minded focus on giving us the best possible chance to win the World Cup in 2026.

“I would like to thank Lee for stepping up and doing everything we asked of him – he is a very talented coach and a major part of our England pathway.”

Tuchel moved into coaching after his playing career was cut short by a knee injury, working at Stuttgart, Augsburg and Mainz before succeeding Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund in 2015.

He moved on to PSG two years later, winning successive Ligue 1 titles, then joined Chelsea in January 2021, guiding them to the Champions League crown a few months later.

He was dismissed in September 2022 amid claims of a breakdown in relations with the club’s hierarchy and was out of work until joining Bayern Munich in March 2023.

He secured the Bundesliga title that season but last term was something of a disaster, with Bayern failing to win a trophy, and Tuchel’s impending departure was announced in February.

Tuchel will link up again with England captain and Bayern striker Harry Kane. Speaking on Sky Sports News, Kane described the German as “a fantastic coach, a fantastic person”.

Tuchel will address the media to discuss his new role at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.