United States President Donald Trump has joined the growing criticism of England manager Thomas Tuchel following the Three Lions’ dramatic 2-1 loss to Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final.
England looked on course for a place in the final after Anthony Gordon gave them the lead early in the second half. However, Argentina staged a late comeback to book their place in Sunday’s final against Spain, with Tuchel’s defensive substitutions coming under heavy scrutiny.
Speaking alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino ahead of the World Cup final, Trump questioned Tuchel’s decision to use captain Harry Kane in a more defensive role after England had gone ahead.
“You have a great player in England, who I play golf with, and he is Harry Kane, who’s been fantastic,” Trump said.
“I think they perhaps made a mistake when they made him a defensive player – but what do I know about soccer?
“They took the lead, and they took their best player and then put him on defence. We gotta be a little offensive, right? But no, I’m not going to call it. Look, what do I know about coaching? But that was a little unusual.”
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Infantino laughed as Trump made the remarks before applauding his comments.
Tuchel was later asked about the President’s criticism during his pre-match press conference ahead of England’s third-place play-off against France. The German coach responded with a smile, saying: “Do you use Donald Trump as your witness for the case?”
The defeat ended England’s hopes of reaching the World Cup final, with Argentina progressing to face Spain in the championship match, while Tuchel’s tactical decisions continue to generate debate among football pundits and former players.
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