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The German coach talks in detail before the game against Argentina
After defeating Norway (2-1) in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, German coach Thomas Tuchel responded to his player Jude Bellingham in the media.
England are set to face Argentina in the semi-finals at the Atlanta Stadium this Wednesday evening.It should be noted that the winner will face Spain in the finals of the World Championship next Sunday.
Tuchel criticized the Three Lions’ technical performance after the Norway game, which went into two extra halves, but he praised their mentality in finding a way to win.
Bellingham, who scored both goals, was later asked about the criticism and said: “Maybe that means he doesn’t know what it’s like to play against Erling Holland, Martin Odegaard, Antonio Nosa and Alexandre Sorlot in these conditions.”
For his part, Tuchel sees no problem with the 23-year-old’s response and believes his player has only been presented with the “negative” side of his analysis.
But after Bellingham’s comments were interpreted by some as a reference to the German international’s career in the lower leagues, Tuchel told a press conference ahead of the Argentina game.
He added, according to the publication of the newspaper.Daily Mail:“I think our comments come from the same premise, which is competition and the desire to excel in competition. He just faced the downside. I described him as a world-class player and said that he once again produced a world-class performance that decided the match. He confirmed that his mindset is great.”
The German coach added: “They told him: “You think the coach said you were sloppy?” Maybe I would answer by playing 120 minutes, scoring two goals and doing my best. “It’s a very natural reaction for a player with his mindset.”
“Then there is no problem. I spoke to the whole team in the dressing room and the message was the same. On Monday night, I explained the matter again, calling for a move forward. Then in the conversation we immediately set a new direction for the semi-final against Argentina.”
Tuchel is aware that Lionel Messi and his Argentina team-mates will be motivated by more than just football against England, given the historic tensions between the two countries.
“They are driven by history and that means a lot to them,” Tuchel said. “So this is what we expect and this is what we are facing.”
“I’ve coached a few players and I see it. You can see they have that fighting spirit. You can feel it when they are one goal behind and when the matches are close. They are a strong team. They are almost the same team as four years ago.”
“You can see the cohesion and sacrifice they make. They do not lose their temper when they are late for the result. They believe in their style. Their style is very emotional. It was like that in Qatar, and it’s like that now.”
He continued. “But we are also emotional, we have determination and we have the mentality to face challenges. We are ready for it. It’s time to go. I feel another change of mood in the camp. “Oh my god, we’re getting closer now!”
England must stop Messi’s eight balls to reach the final. Tuchel admits it won’t be easy, but he is optimistic about his team’s performance against Erling Holland at the weekend.
“It’s incredible how Messi achieves it every time, in so many different ways. He finds spaces, finds crucial moments, and most importantly, the whole team believes in this idea and supports him. They are fully prepared.”
“When he steps up to make a difference. Can we prepare for it and find the perfect solution and over focus on it? No, but we have to be brave with him, stop the support and control all his movements when he has the ball. We are fully aware that we cannot stop him all the time. He is a completely different player than Erling Haaland. a way now.”
