In the 2026 FIFA World Cup third-place play-off, England defeated France 6-4, securing third place for the first time in their history. After the match, England head coach Tuchel attended a press conference to answer questions from the media. The following is the second part of the press conference.

I'm Pierre from L'Équipe. I'd like to ask what you said to Kylian Mbappe after the game? He's a player you know very well, and you had a conversation with him.

Yes, we spoke three times today. The walk to the field is long, so I met many players from the opposing dressing room, seven of whom I had coached. So it was familiar, but also a bit surreal. We had a friendly chat, asking each other if everything was okay. At halftime, he was certainly not happy, saying it had already been a crazy game. When the score became 4-3 in the second half, he asked if we were still in the dressing room. It was just a friendly chat. It was an honor to coach him, and you can see all the abilities he displays.

Do you feel that this has somewhat regained the trust of England fans? Is that important to you?

I don't think we lost trust, or rather, I don't think I lost trust. Whatever happened in those 30 or 45 minutes against Argentina, whatever the reason we became so conservative in the second half, whatever happened in the last 10 minutes. We were so close to our goal. As a coach, it's my responsibility to make decisions. My interventions, substitutions, and changes in tactical structure didn't achieve the desired effect, so I have to take responsibility. This was very painful for me because I did it with sincerity and a clear plan. The results were not satisfactory, and I accept the blame and responsibility.

But I firmly believe that what we built in the FIFA World Cup is far greater than what was lost in those 30 minutes and my failed decision. I said yesterday that the pain and scars will always stay with me and the players, not anyone else. Ultimately, we need to earn trust. In international football, this is not just an everyday job; we will gather again in seven or eight weeks. We need to earn trust, regain trust, rebuild trust, whatever you call it. You have trust, but it's never a given. In competitive sports, you need to prove yourself and your point in every game.

Hello, Thomas. Congratulations. Tonight is Didier Deschamps' last game coaching France. What message would you like to convey to him? Do you hope to coach England for as long as he coached France, leading them in nearly 200 matches?

That wasn't the feeling at yesterday's press conference. For Didier Deschamps, I have only the most heartfelt praise and utmost respect. What a great player, what a great winner, what a distinct personality, what an excellent coach. Eight years ago, he led his team to win the championship; four years ago, he led them to the final, and also the UEFA Nations League final. He came here and almost swept the entire tournament. I think before the semi-finals, we all believed that France would secure a spot in the final. Their performance was so impressive. At the same time, he was so humble, friendly, and open-minded towards me. When I was coaching in Paris, and even after that, he never made me feel that barrier of identity. He is a very charismatic person. As I said, very humble, ambitious, very kind, an absolute top role model.

Thomas, your team scored 20 goals in this tournament, tied with France for the highest total. Does this statistic surprise you? Is this something you value for future UEFA Nations League goals and longer-term objectives?

The six goals tonight certainly helped a lot. It does surprise me a bit at the moment. This is just another positive factor we can add to the list. It once again convinces me that we are on the right track. As I said, there is still room for improvement, and we could have done better, for example, with our set pieces. Although we scored many goals, especially in the last few games, we didn't get enough corners because we didn't control the ball in the opponent's half for long enough. We weren't sharp enough in offensive continuity to earn set pieces and corners. Because with our strengths, set pieces could have been an even more lethal weapon. But this is a good foundation for progress, an excellent addition to the medals and ranking we achieved today. Yes, this is another positive factor worth taking into the post-match review and continuing to work on.

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