Pep Guardiola reportedly had a “verbal agreement” to take charge of the England national football team before Thomas Tuchel was appointed and may still hold an interest in the position.

Speculation about Tuchel’s future has intensified following England’s disappointing World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, where the Three Lions surrendered a late lead. The German coach’s tactical decisions came under heavy scrutiny after England’s exit.

Calls have emerged for the Football Association (FA) to dismiss Tuchel, with many supporters highlighting Guardiola—who left Manchester City at the end of the previous season—as the ideal successor.

According to reports from The Athletic, the FA had previously pursued the Catalan coach and even reached a verbal agreement for him to replace Gareth Southgate before Guardiola opted to extend his tenure at Manchester City.

After Guardiola chose to remain at City, the FA turned its attention to Tuchel, who was officially appointed as England manager in January 2025.

Now a free agent, Guardiola is believed to still have an interest in taking the England job, considering his earlier informal agreement to do so.

However, it appears unlikely that the FA will part ways with Tuchel following England’s run to the semi-finals, with the organisation reaffirming its commitment to the German after Wednesday’s defeat.

Tuchel’s contract included specific clauses allowing either party to terminate the deal if England had been eliminated before reaching the quarter-finals, but those provisions were never activated.

An additional exception was introduced when it became clear that England were likely to meet Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in the Round of 16—a match Tuchel’s side eventually won 3-2.

Given England’s progress to the semi-finals for only the fourth time in their history, the exit clauses remain inactive, and Tuchel is expected to continue as manager after the FA’s customary post-tournament review.

The FA remains committed to Tuchel as their long-term managerial choice, having extended his contract earlier this year to ensure he leads the team through Euro 2028.

Tuchel, in turn, has expressed satisfaction with his role and even rejected an approach from Manchester United in January, after the club parted ways with Ruben Amorim.

He now faces the task of lifting his players for England’s third-place play-off against France on Saturday, with supporters’ reactions to the German coach still uncertain.