England's third-place finish at the 2026 FIFA World Cup was their best performance since 1966. Despite this, many on the island were not satisfied. English coaching legend Barry Fry (81) accused Tuchel of squandering a golden opportunity to win the tournament, specifically citing his use of striker Ivan Toney as a serious mistake.

Fry had helped Toney break through at Peterborough XI before selling him to Brentford. He was initially delighted with Tuchel's decision to call Toney into England's FIFA World Cup squad. In the veteran football manager's view, Toney could have helped England with his unique abilities.

However, Tuchel rarely used the striker throughout the tournament. It wasn't until the dramatic semi-final loss to Argentina that Toney got a brief appearance in injury time. He then started against France in the third-place play-off – but in Fry's opinion, it was too late.

The British newspaper The Sun quoted Fry's remarks. Criticizing Tuchel, he said: "We messed it up and only one man is to blame."

Fry stated: "Toney was the only true hot-weather striker in the squad. You have to remember that many games in this FIFA World Cup were played in temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius, and he had already played two seasons in Saudi Arabia. Playing under such conditions would have been second nature to him – yet Tuchel didn't give him enough playing time."

In his opinion, if Toney had played in the semi-final against Argentina, it might have had a decisive impact: "He would have caused problems for Argentina's defenders, creating chaos. He's the kind of player who makes opponents terribly annoyed. He might have even gotten one or two players yellow or even red cards."

For Fry, it was particularly painful that Toney never got the chance to prove himself: "I feel sorry for him because he didn't get the opportunity to show what he could do – especially when England desperately needed someone to hold up the ball upfront."

Despite the criticism, the FA will continue to support Tuchel. Tuchel will remain in charge until the European Championship held in England in 2028.

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