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England have been in the United States for almost a month, but in one sense they are yet to truly arrive.
Topping the group is never to be taken for granted at a FIFA World Cup, but many took it as read from the moment the draw for 2026 threw them together with Croatia, Ghana and Panama. That is a legacy of the progress made under previous coach Gareth Southgate.
The change from Southgate to Thomas Tuchel was triggered by a desire to see England maximise their individual talent in an authoritative show of collective power, under an elite manager capable of affecting the biggest matches of all.
There have been flickers of it, most obviously in the opening 4-2 win against Croatia. A second half which fused risk, purpose and intensity in a blur of excitement which overwhelmed Croatia and pointed to a bright future.
The light has dimmed since with a laborious 0-0 draw against Ghana followed by a stuttering 2-0 win over Panama. So as England prepare to face Congo DR on Wednesday in Atlanta, what shape are they in?
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England reached the final of Euro 2024, but the football was turgid. Tuchel himself suggested they lacked “identity” and that Southgate’s team was “more afraid” of defeat than possessing “the excitement and hunger to win it.” His challenge has been to define that winning identity, and the group stage underlines how much it remains a work in progress. Seven points from nine to win Group L is perfectly respectable — only three World Cup winners had a 100% record in the group stages and none since Brazil in 2002 — but the staccato rhythm to their football contrasts with the fluency shown by many of the other tournament favourites.
There is a degree of mitigation: these aren’t the games England were built for. Tuchel has essentially selected a squad that lends itself to a counter-attacking approach: quick wingers taking players on to provide energy and legs around Harry Kane, as opposed to picking more technical players like Cole Palmer, Phil Foden or Morgan Gibbs-White. Croatia pressed England high and created the space for Tuchel’s team to play to their strengths, but Ghana sat in and England struggled to break them down. They were also somewhat disjointed against Panama, seemingly anticipating a similar low block only for Panama to push up and be braver on the ball than predicted. England adapted and their big players — Jude Bellingham and Kane — came to the fore. But the lack of cohesion at one end, and the scares they had at the other without Declan Rice in midfield, raises fears they are still at the developmental phase of how they want to play.
Tuchel identified the problems against Croatia and solved them. But he has also spoken about his players needing to believe in themselves and be brave on the ball — a habitual tournament failing that Southgate minimised but couldn’t eradicate completely. Blending control with freedom of expression is within England’s gift and will make them dangerous. But they need to keep and use the ball better because however conservative Ghana and, to a lesser extent Panama were, they simply had to create more. Tuchel’s assertion that “the bigger the games get, the bigger we will get” could prove correct but, for now, has to be taken on trust.
England arrived in the U.S. on June 1 to acclimatise to the heat. Their West Palm Beach training camp was regularly disrupted by poor weather while their first game took place in Dallas’ air-conditioned stadium. The second was in the cool and cloudy Foxborough Stadium, while New York saw a day of near solid rain and mid-20s temperatures when they beat Panama. Atlanta’s stadium is also air-conditioned, meaning England’s potential quarterfinal in Mexico City, 2,240 metres above sea level, could hit them hard. Forecasts are obviously changeable, but they may get lucky — again — with the heat.
Current projections for next Sunday at Azteca Stadum are a high of 73 degrees Farenheit (23 degrees Celsius). Sources have told ESPN that England plan to travel to Mexico two days prior to the game — a day earlier than usual — as they prioritise recovery in Kansas City over acclimatisation to altitude (which, in fairness, experts suggest to do properly would take far too long in any case). They will fly from Atlanta back to Kansas City on Wednesday and if successful, head to Mexico City on Friday. The true heat test may come in Miami and a potential semifinal against Argentina, but for all the talk of conditions before the tournament, England have led a charmed life so far in that regard.
Tuchel is brilliant with the media but it was a misstep to suggest that famously hamstring-injury-prone defender Reece James suffering that very injury was something “nobody could see coming.” The strong suspicion was always that James would not be able to play eight tournament games and, after losing Tino Livramento on the eve of the tournament, opting against calling up a specialist right-back was a bold call that currently looks to have exacerbated the issue. Jarell Quansah is not a natural right-back and it may be that England face Congo DR with only Djed Spence and Nico O’Reilly as realistic options in the wide positions. Ezri Konsa could play right-back with John Stones coming in, but Stones is desperately short of match sharpness and did not play a minute against Ghana or Panama.
Elsewhere, Bukayo Saka is clearly struggling. The Arsenal winger is managing an Achilles problem and sources have told ESPN he is prepared to play through the issue but England’s staff hold reservations about how impactful he can be in his present condition. Elsewhere, Rice is managing a hamstring issue. He often seems indestructible, but the midfielder has played 64 games for club and country so far this season and so wear and tear would be perfectly understandable. Elliot Anderson has a tight glute but still played 84 minutes against Panama. The consequences of a long season for so many players are present but then again, England are not alone in this and Tuchel has spoken positively about James’ return while resting Rice against Panama as a precaution so they may feel the situation is relatively manageable at present.
This has been the biggest positive so far. Sources have told ESPN that there were tensions between Bellingham and several squad members at Euro 2024. The 22-year-old hinted at off-field tension in an interview on June 12 when admitting “we got some things a little bit wrong off the pitch — I don’t feel like the group connected as well as it could have, for a number of reasons.” Southgate attempted to manage Bellingham by making him part of the leadership group.
Tuchel adopted a more combative approach, publicly describing some of his behaviour as “repulsive” and dropping him in October. Bellingham has responded positively and the impact at this World Cup has been profound: two goals, one assist and he dragged England past Panama more than any other player.
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“I’m not sure if it’s a reaction but it is what we want from him,” stated Tuchel on Saturday. “He has been very positive from the first day in camp. He is fully into all the things from him as a team player, and he brings his individual quality to decide football games.”
The debate about whether Bellingham or Morgan Rogers should start for England is over and Tuchel deserves credit for how he has managed this situation up to now. Of course, the pressure goes up a level in the knockout rounds but Bellingham currently looks in form and primed to make a significant contribution.
The two other selection issues are on the wings and at centre back. Marcus Rashford showed purpose and determination on his first start against Panama but was unable to deliver in the final third. His task of turning dangerous 20-minute cameos off the bench into consistent influence when starting continues to be the defining challenge of his England career. However, Anthony Gordon was below his best in the first two games and is not a lock to return to the line-up. On the other flank, Noni Madueke needs to find a better end product, and the suspicion is Tuchel will give Saka every chance to prove his fitness in the next few days.
At the back, Stones was selected for this tournament despite playing just 439 minutes of Premier League football for Manchester City. His ability on the ball is highly valued by Tuchel, but Konsa and Marc Guéhi were reliable during qualifying and may be the most reliable option now. The suspicion remains that England’s defence is vulnerable — Panama bowed out after the group stage without a point or a goal to their name, but they caused England problems. The better sides will sense an opportunity. Then again, Tuchel stated on Sunday that “the tournament starts now.”
If England step up their level as he expects, the rest of the world will have to take notice.
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