Thomas Tuchel admits he was terrified of one thing ahead of France vs England

Thomas Tuchel has confessed that he was very worried about one particular thing ahead of France vs England in the FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place play-off.

‘The Three Lions’ emerged victorious in a thrilling 6-4 game at Miami Stadium in Florida, USA.

Thomas Tuchel was worried about the physical demands of France vs England

England endured a very tough road to get to the match against the very same team that beat them at the FIFA World Cup 2022. After scraping past DR Congo, they battled through the horrendous altitude of the Azteca Stadium against Mexico, before coming back from behind against Norway to secure a spot in the semi-final, where they suffered a heartbreaking loss to Argentina, in which Thomas Tuchel made the decision to go ultra-defensive in a move that ultimately cost his team the game.

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In the aftermath, the German received backlash from the fans and pundits alike, with Jamie O’Hara calling for Tuchel to be sacked. However, against France, the football aficionado proved he still has a few tricks up his sleeve, guiding his men to a 6-4 victory.

But despite remaining composed on the sideline, there was one thing he was worried about ahead of the fixture.

During his post-match interview, he explained: “I was afraid of the physical demand of the match because we know the quality and speed of France, and the schedule for them was just much less demanding. They had one day more after the semi-final to digest; they had way less travel distance. This sums it up for us: we played in the heat and the altitude. I was worried physically. You could see in the second half, all the cramps and tiredness. I was never worried about the mentality. I’ve said it before, this team has shown something very special. And they’ve done it again.”