The Football Association has launched a full review of England's 2026 World Cup campaign and will directly consult the players who competed in the tournament. The process will gather feedback from the squad as part of an assessment of the team's performance in North America.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel and his staff were at St George's Park last week to begin unpacking the details of the campaign. The wider review, which will be delivered at a later date, is set to analyse all aspects of the tournament. This includes the logistics of the team's base in Kansas City and the effects of travelling back there after every match.
The review aims to be thorough. Members of Tuchel's squad will be spoken to individually, with their opinions taken into account as the FA builds its report. A key area of focus will be the tactical approach during the dramatic semi-final defeat to Argentina. England took a 1-0 lead through Anthony Gordon but conceded two late goals to lose 2-1. BBC Sport stated that "at least three senior players privately expressed misgivings about Tuchel's approach in the closing stages of the game."
Despite that painful exit, the overall tournament is viewed as a success by key figures at the FA. England rallied to defeat France in the bronze medal match, securing a third-place finish. This represents the team's best World Cup performance since winning the trophy in 1966. The organisation has already backed Tuchel to lead the team into the Euro 2028 qualifying campaign.
England's strong World Cup form has carried into the new season. The team currently sits top of its Nations League group with seven points from three games, having scored six goals and conceded just two. Their recent results show four wins from the last five matches, including a thrilling 6-4 victory over France in July.
This positive run provides a solid platform as the squad prepares to reconvene later this month. The next fixture is a Nations League clash against Spain at home on 26 September. It will be England's first match since the World Cup concluded and kicks off a busy international window.
The match against Spain is the first of three Nations League games in the upcoming break. England will also face the Czech Republic twice, with a fixture against Croatia in between. Preparations for these games and the longer-term Euro 2028 cycle will be informed by the findings of the World Cup review. Fans can track the upcoming schedule on our dedicated fixtures page.
The immediate focus for Tuchel and his players is clear. They must build on a World Cup campaign that, while ending in semi-final heartbreak, delivered the nation's best result in sixty years. The review process is a step in that direction, aiming to refine the setup for future challenges. England's next test is at home to Spain on 26 September.
