England can build on World Cup ‘spirit’, says Tuchel

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England’s German head coach Thomas Tuchel attends a press conference at Wembley Stadium, north west London, on September 18, 2026, ahead of their Nations League fixture against Spain. (Photo by Brook Mitchell / AFP) / NOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE

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Thomas Tuchel said England will build on the “fantastic spirit” of their World Cup campaign as he targets glory on home soil at Euro 2028.

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The England boss was speaking at Wembley after naming a 27-man group for a four-game Nations League camp, starting with a clash against world champions Spain on September 26.

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It comes just nine weeks after the end of the World Cup, where England conceded two late goals in a painful semi-final defeat by Argentina.

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Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold and Chelsea forward Cole Palmer were the headline picks after both were controversially overlooked for the World Cup.

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Tuchel also included Liverpool’s teenage winger Rio Ngumoha, uncapped Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott and Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite in his first squad since the tournament in North America.

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A number of players who were in the World Cup squad including John Stones, Djed Spence, Dan Burn, Jordan Henderson and Dean Henderson missed out through injury.

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Former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss Tuchel said he did not see the Nations League as a new start, instead focusing on continuity.

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“I feel that it’s not a new beginning that we are starting now, so we build on a solid and very valuable foundation, and the target is to win the home Euros,” he told reporters on Friday.

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Euro 2028 will be co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.

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The German said his side’s ultimate failure at the World Cup had left him unfulfilled but stuck by his squad picks.

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“I had a lot of sleepless nights, but I had not one sleepless night about our selection, because I was more than seven weeks with this group of players, and they were nothing but fantastic,” he said.

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“I think the spirit that we built and the mentality that we showed brought us to the place that we got.”

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Tuchel said Palmer had impressed for Chelsea early in the season.

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“He has his numbers back, he has assists back, he has decisive goals back, so that’s why he’s in the squad and I think he has a point to prove,” he said.

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“The same goes for Trent. He was never off the list, he was never in a non-selectable class, and he has this chance to show, to be the best version of himself.”

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Tuchel said it was his “duty” to play Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo after he failed to feature for a single minute at the World Cup.

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The England boss welcomed the challenge of taking on Spain at Wembley.

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“We feel the gap is closing and we feel that we are close and we want a proof of point,” he said.

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“The stadium is sold out, it will be very exciting, the motivation cannot be higher to play against the world champions.”

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England also play the Czech Republic twice and Croatia once during the upcoming international window.

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