Before England's 2026 FIFA World Cup third-place play-off match against France, England manager Thomas Tuchel held a press conference to address reporters. Below is the second half of the proceedings.

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Thomas, regarding the "blame game" you mentioned—isn't it understandable that English fans and media want to know which decisions by you or the players led to losing the lead late in the semi-final?

Of course. I've never shied away from explanations, so I don't understand what you're asking.

Thomas, immediately after the match, the FA reiterated its support for you, and you quickly expressed your belief that you're the right person for the job and want to lead the team to the Euros. Since then, public opinion at home has become divided, with more doubts about you than before. Are you concerned about public and fan opinion, and will this change your position?

I prefer to form my own judgment. You're representing half of England here, and that's a very strong statement. Whether public opinion is divided or not, we'll see. I have nothing more to say on it.

If more fans believed you shouldn't be the head coach, would that change your mind about staying in the role?

No. As long as I want to continue, my position won't change.

Coach, some people have called your second-half decisions "cowardly." How do you respond to that criticism? Do you think it's fair?

Not fair at all. I don't accept it. I don't dwell on compliments, and I don't accept such comments. If we win tomorrow, we'll achieve England's best FIFA World Cup result in 60 years. That's what we need to focus on.

Few players want to play tomorrow, yet they must. How many lineup changes are you planning, and how will you find the motivation for them?

You're absolutely right. You can see from John Stones's answer how disappointed we are—that pain is real. As I said, it intensifies each day after the initial shock. This will leave a scar on all of us. This isn't our first experience with it, probably not the last; that's elite competition. Nobody wants to play tomorrow. Four teams came hoping to play in the final in New York. But this is an official FIFA World Cup match—an opportunity for England to achieve its best result in 60 years. We're facing one of the best teams in the world, who were probably in peak form before their semi-final against Spain. You can't simply switch mindset on and off. Tomorrow is when we must show our true character and spirit, what we've built over these six and a half weeks. There will be lineup changes; I haven't decided how many yet. We need to start closing the gap. The other three teams in the top four arrived with championship expectations; they're already operating at that level. We haven't reached it yet, but that's what we'll pursue starting tomorrow. We won't stop pushing.

Coach, is it true that, because of the pain of falling short, nobody wants to play this match? If that sentiment is widespread, what have you done to lift morale so the team can, as you expect, finish this World Cup on a high note?

I've already addressed this; it's the same question. We need to show true fighting spirit and character, the cohesion we've built. Nobody wants to play tomorrow, but it's an official match, and we'll fight for the result and start closing the gap.

Thomas, is this the most painful moment of your football career?

I honestly don't know. I've had many painful moments, and this won't be the last. I think that's why we love and hate football—these moments cut deep and will continue to sting for days. We're driven to win. John can speak for every player, and I can speak for myself. But ultimately, we have enough desire to win to regroup, overcome it, learn from it, and move forward.

Thomas, first: are you considering giving playing time to squad players who haven't featured much or at all? Second: can you elaborate on the "DNA" of the England team and English football that you mentioned earlier?

As I said, what this team has shown has been excellent and has resonated with the fans. Not long ago, we were singing "Wonderwall" with thousands of fans who traveled to the US—that moment was truly unforgettable, and they deserved it. Everything this team and these players have built over six and a half weeks has been at the highest level: team cohesion, team spirit, all of it. It reflects me, my values, and the spirit of the Premier League, which I've always believed in, and we'll never compromise on that. But I think we must take the next step: play better football under pressure, perform at a higher level in major tournaments. We still have room for improvement, and that's a responsibility I share with the team.

You said you don't want or need praise, but you've narrowly lost to Spain in the last Euros final and to Argentina in this World Cup semi-final. I want to ask: how do you view the Spain-Argentina final? Why do you think there's still a gap between England and those two teams, as well as France?

I believe the gap does exist. Countries like Argentina, France, and Spain have a championship pedigree; they've built their own football culture over many years through successive coaches and generations of players. We still have a small gap to close. For these nations, winning the World Cup and reaching finals has become habitual. What about us? Within our team, we certainly demand the same of ourselves, dream of achieving it, and compete for it. But we still have gaps to fill. Whether it's playing under intense pressure, implementing our style of play, or elevating our football to a higher level, there's room for improvement. Of course, we face France tomorrow. We're currently ranked fourth in the world and reached the World Cup semi-finals. We want to continue closing the gap that still exists with these elite teams. The gap is small, but it's there, and we must work hard to bridge it. I like being the challenger, the pursuer, the team constantly pushing the elite. That starts tomorrow. We'll never give up; we'll keep fighting. As for the final, both teams deserve to be there—they won their semi-finals. There's no question of whether they "should" be in the final. Win your semi-final, you advance. We have one more match ahead against another elite opponent, and we'll focus on that.

Thomas, can you comment on Didier Deschamps? Tomorrow is his final match as France's coach.

Of course. He has an incredible personality and is a great coach. He won everything as a player and as a national team coach. He's so humble, so gracious, and it's always a pleasure to interact with him in football. I have the utmost respect for him. Nevertheless, we'll try to beat him tomorrow. I believe he's as disappointed as we are now; France played very well until that crucial moment in the semi-final. He's as hungry as ever to win the next match, and we're equally determined.

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