Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel’s tenure as England manager could not have dreamed of a better start, with a win in the World Cup opener against Croatia.
England kicked off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Croatia at Dallas Stadium, but they didn’t have it all their own way.
A chaotic first half saw Harry Kane net a brilliant brace, though Croatia twice hit back through Martin Baturina and Petar Musa to leave the sides level at the break.
Following a decisive halftime team talk from former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, the Three Lions completely dominated proceedings.
On the Chelsea front, Reece James safely anchored the right side of the backline and even played in midfield, but he could have done better for Croatia’s goals.
How would you rate Reece James’ display against Croatia 1️⃣-🔟?
Thomas Tuchel makes impressive start at the World Cup
According to SofaScore, Thomas Tuchel got off to pretty much the perfect start at World Cups, with two records that even the 1966 team would be proud of.
England in Thomas Tuchel’s first match in charge at the FIFA World Cup created the most big chances in a World Cup match since 1966.
As well as this, England had the second-most shots on target in a World Cup match since 1966 (11).
Lastly, it was the third-highest xG by any team at the 2026 World Cup so far (2.80).
Reece James as a central midfielder or a right-back under Xabi Alonso?👀
The million pound question!
Was Thomas Tuchel treated unfairly at Chelsea?
Fresh off a Champions League triumph, many argue Tuchel was treated incredibly unfairly, denied the time to build a long-term project after guiding the club gracefully through a transition period.
This record-breaking performance serves as a bittersweet reminder for Chelsea fans of the tactical genius they once possessed, with the second half mirroring the high-octane knockout football Thomas Tuchel engineered during his Stamford Bridge tenure at times.
And the post-match image of Reece James and Thomas Tuchel sharing a warm, emotional embrace on the pitch perfectly captured their enduring bond.
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