Thomas Tuchel Urges England to Chase World Cup Glory: ‘We Want to Add a Second Star to the Shirt’

Thomas Tuchel has issued a direct rallying call to England players and supporters, stating that nothing short of World Cup victory will satisfy his ambitions for the national team. The German coach, who took charge of England with an explicit mandate to deliver silverware, has made clear that qualifying from the group stage represents only the beginning of what he expects from his squad.

“Our objective is straightforward, we want to become world champions,” Tuchel said. “We shouldn’t be afraid to talk about it. The goal is there for everyone to see. We want to add a second star to the England shirt, and that has to be our focus from day one.”

England’s only major international trophy remains the 1966 FIFA World Cup, a victory now six decades old. Every subsequent tournament campaign has ended in disappointment, with the team reaching the semi-finals in Russia in 2018 and the final of Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 — both ending in defeat on penalties. Tuchel’s appointment was widely seen as an attempt to break that pattern of near-misses.

Beyond tactical preparation, Tuchel has pointed to team cohesion as a decisive factor at the highest level of international football. He cited a conversation with an unnamed former World Cup winner as particularly instructive in shaping his philosophy for the tournament.

“I recently spoke with someone who has won the World Cup, and one thing stood out,” Tuchel said. “He said the quality between teams in the quarter-finals and the final is often very similar. What separates champions is unity, the willingness to fight for each other and put the team first.”

The England manager elaborated further on the culture he is attempting to establish within the camp, emphasising collective commitment over individual output. “When a group becomes more than just teammates and develops a genuine connection, special things can happen,” he added. “That’s the environment we’re trying to build. Everyone must be fully committed to the collective goal.”

England have been drawn in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana, and Panama, and are widely regarded as favourites to advance to the knockout rounds. The squad is currently based in Florida, where the training camp has been structured in part to help players acclimatise to the weather conditions expected during the North American tournament.

The camp has not been without controversy. Tuchel has faced scrutiny over several high-profile omissions from his final squad, with Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, and Harry Maguire all left out. The coach has defended those decisions publicly, and according to reports, uncertainty over Foden’s fitness and form played a central role in the left-field call to exclude him.

Ahead of the tournament’s group stage opener, England are scheduled to play warm-up friendlies against New Zealand and Costa Rica, providing Tuchel with further opportunity to assess squad depth and finalise his tactical approach.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico — the first edition to feature 48 nations — with the expanded format meaning more games and a longer path to the final. For Tuchel, that only increases the importance of building the kind of squad unity he believes separates contenders from champions.