Lionel Messi and Argentina delivered one of the defining moments of the 2026 World Cup when they overturned a late deficit to beat England 2-1 in the semifinal in Atlanta, a result that denied the Three Lions their first appearance in a World Cup final in 60 years.
Months later, the wound still hasn’t closed for Thomas Tuchel. In a trailer for the FA’s upcoming documentary on England’s tournament, titled “Reflections: England’s World Cup Journey,” the German coach opened up about the pain of that night, admitting the loss remains something he carries personally rather than something time has settled.
“That is a very, very difficult road to go down that can torture you, and you can try to kill me here, but it’s my scar. It’s not your scar. I have to live with it…I am in charge here, and I take these decisions. It’s the players’ scar, and it’s my scar, and I have to live with it and keep on going,” Tuchel told former striker Daniel Sturridge, addressing the wave of criticism aimed at him.
The admission didn’t stop there. “No one is more hurt than me. No one wanted it more. And you can now endlessly torture you and think if I would have done a different substitution, then we would’ve won the match. You just don’t know it,” he added.
England had been just minutes away from reaching their first World Cup final since 1966, holding onto Gordon’s goal deep into the second half. But Argentina refused to let the moment slip, leveling through Enzo Fernández in the 85th minute before Lautaro Martínez completed the comeback deep into stoppage time, sending Messi’s side through instead.
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Tuchel breaks down Argentina’s frantic comeback
Beyond the emotional toll, Tuchel also used the documentary to dissect the tactical chaos of Argentina’s fightback, marveling at the risks Lionel Scaloni was willing to take once his side fell behind.
“The level of madness Argentina brought, one change after another after another, one attacking substitution after the next. They never would have made those changes if they weren’t 1-0 down. It was a 3-1-6. Who plays with a 3-1-6?“ he said, referencing the ultra-attacking shape Argentina finished the match in.
Tuchel also pushed back on the idea that his own approach was overly cautious, pointing to a similar situation England had faced earlier in the tournament against Norway. “We could have done it and maybe lost 2-1, and people would have said, ‘Is he crazy? He did it against Norway, he finished the game with five at the back. Why didn’t he finish the game (against Argentina) with five?’ That was simply my solution to the problem. I was trying to help,” he explained.
Tuchel’s reflections make clear the Atlanta defeat remains an open wound, one he continues to revisit. Still, the pain hasn’t shaken his position with the federation, and with the bronze-medal finish behind them, he remains focused on leading England into Euro 2028 while carrying that scar with him.
