Thomas Tuchel spoke to him Sky Sports News' chief commentator Kaveh Solhekol after the 2026 World Cup qualifying draw and answered questions about a number of big points about taking over as England head coach – including whether Harry Kane would still be first choice and the captain
England's top scorer was criticized at Euro 2024 and was named on the bench by interim boss Lee Carsley for last month's Nations League game in Greece.
Read on to see what we learned from Tuchel about his thoughts on Kane and his role in the team, as well as his decision on Chelsea hotshot Cole Palmer, England's World Cup qualifying group opponents, where will he be settled when he starts work from January 1 and whether he has had hands-on talks with Carsley and former Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate…
England's World Cup qualifying group
Kane looks set to become captain and regular starter under Tuchel…
“There is no need at this time to look at other options. It's like Harry for everyone too, we are completely … I respect him, for his quality, for his leadership, for his character. play or they don't play, it's always like that.
“I am happy to have this group of players, including Harry, great people and quality. The job now is to find and build the best group that people are excited to watch, that motivates them to watch this team.
Tuchel will have a high presence at Premier League games from January…
“You will see me in stadiums from January, yes. Work will start from the signature because you will be involved (in the project) and today (the draw) was the beginning of the World Cup campaign and so it is Obviously we have to be there.”
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Speaking at the unveiling of a statue and mural in his honour, England captain Harry Kane says he can't wait to work with new head coach Thomas Tuchel and has no plans to stop anytime soon.
But where will it be based?
“I will not tell you my address! Otherwise you will be in front of my house every week! I love you but not that much!
“Obviously we are quite often at St George's Park (the FA's national football ground) because this is where we are based and this is where we want to create an atmosphere and this is where we are happy to go involved with everyone. work for the FA We want to interact with them, we want to use the quality and feel of the place.
“We will have a lot of games starting in January. I want to see the games live, I will talk to the players – but don't get too involved because they are the players of the clubs and they should focus on that. You will see us in many stadiums from January onwards.”
What did he think of England's performance in the Nations League under Lee Carsley in November, when they beat Greece and the Republic of Ireland to regain promotion to the top flight? height?
“Of course I was watching the games, I wished Lee the best of luck and I congratulated him afterwards. I'm happy because I thought the decision was always right let Lee do the whole campaign and let him finish the job. He did excellent, the players did excellent.
“It was difficult because they were hurt a lot and they desperately needed a result in Greece. They delivered and did the job. Congratulations, we did well. We watched it on TV.”
Did England look like World Cup winners?
“I knew this before and watching the games, we have the players, the talent and the qualities to go far. But now, first, we need to prove it in the references. big countries and the smaller countries It closes all competitions.
How does Cole Palmer fit into Thomas Tuchel's England side?
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Watch in slow motion as Cole Palmer dances through the Tottenham defense before Enzo Fernandez scores!
“That's a bit too far, going into individual players! But it's definitely on form, I think everyone will agree on that. I hope it can still grow and maintain its level. Everyone likes to see him. He's cool, composed, very clinical in finishing and assisting Very impressive at the moment.”
No big move from Carsley – and no Three Lions record!
“We exchanged messages but there is no such thing as a famous file! We will be working from January in St George's and I hope it will become very regular and normal that we meet and have an exchange because I am interested in his opinion. about the nominations (selection), about the games, about the potential in the group and how he felt about the group and what he experienced. We stay in touch. to speak).”
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Lee Carsley took charge of England's 5-0 win over Ireland, his last as interim manager. Carsley hopes to meet Thomas Tuchel soon and will give the new manager a detailed transfer.
Gareth Southgate is likely to be snapped up in 2025, too…
“Not yet. But that's still to come. He's a gentleman and we met before when I was at Chelsea. It was a pleasure to talk to him. Why shouldn't I?”
Tuchel won't be taking England's World Cup qualifying opponents lightly, with Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra drawn to play the Three Lions…
“I have great respect for Serbia and Albania. They can always surprise. They have a strong history of football, technical football, emotional crowd and emotional players and emotional groups. They have famous former players as coaches so we should be very aware of that.
“England have never played in Latvia, so this is a new experience for all of us, and then we have Andorra where we really like it but we have to qualify, that's the thing most important. This is where all the focus goes. any other approach than to take it seriously, take it with respect and make it happen before we can dream it.”
And finally, don't expect him to start wearing suits…
(Speaking in a smart suit) – “Things are changing! FA connection, even! It feels comfortable. It won't be my side view. I need more freedom to move around. But for the event it was good to wear it!
2026 World Cup European Qualifiers: Key Dates
- Group stage match dates: March 21-25, June 6-10, September 4-9, October 9-14 and November 13-18, 2025
- Playoff dates: 26-31 March 2026
- Final dates of the competition: 11 June to 19 July 2026
When and where is the 2026 World Cup?
The 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup will take place between 11 June and 19 July 2026.
The tournament will be held across 16 cities in three North American countries: the United States, Canada and Mexico. This is the first time that the World Cup has been held by three countries.
The last time North America hosted the tournament was in 1994, when Brazil triumphed after beating Italy on penalties.
The expanded World Cup will feature 48 teams – 16 more than Qatar 2022 – and will be held across three host countries for the first time.
World Cup 2026 – qualified teams
Only three teams are so far certain of their place at the finals: the hosts United States, Canada and Mexico.
2026 World Cup Schedule
The full fixture list with group matches and kick-off times will only be available after the draw for the final tournament, which FIFA says is expected to take place towards the end of 2025.
But FIFA has already announced key dates and confirmed that the opening match will take place in Mexico City, with the final taking place at the New York New Jersey Stadium – home of the New York Giants and New York Jets.
Group level: June 11-27 Round 32: 28 June to 3 July Round 16: July 4-7 quarter finals: July 9-11 semi-finals: July 14-15 Third place play-off ('Bronze Final'): 18 July Final: 19 July
