Rooney: Keep Tuchel Unless Guardiola Is Available
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- Wayne Rooney said the FA should retain Thomas Tuchel as England head coach after their 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, saying he sees no better alternative unless Pep Guardiola is available
- Tuchel has retained the backing of the FA despite the loss, has been criticised for his substitutions as England squandered a 1-0 lead late on, and says he intends to stay and lead England into Euro 2028
- Tuchel signed a two-year contract extension in February 2025, having been appointed in January 2025 on an 18-month mission to win the World Cup
- Rooney questioned that timing as "a bit strange," noting the FA publicly framed the appointment as a World Cup-winning mission yet handed him a new deal before the tournament had even been played
- Rooney said Tuchel "made mistakes with the squad selection," singling out the omission of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Morgan Gibbs-White and Adam Wharton in favour of players who are just "happy around the camp"
- Rooney argued Tuchel needs more World Cup experience, drawing a parallel to Fabio Capello and saying "the World Cup is different and you need to feel that environment and now he's felt it"
- Rooney nevertheless concluded Tuchel is "as good as any manager out there to lead us into the next tournament" in his view
Why it matters: The FA now has a public blessing from England's all-time top scorer to keep Tuchel through Euro 2028, but Rooney's endorsement is explicitly conditional — he called for Guardiola if available and flagged squad-selection errors, meaning the FA retains a narrow path between trusting Tuchel's first World Cup experience and attempting a marquee managerial change.
