United States President Donald Trump has unexpectedly weighed in on Thomas Tuchel’s tactical approach following England’s dramatic World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina. The American leader questioned the decision to drop captain Harry Kane into a deep defensive role after the Three Lions surrendered a 1-0 advantage to lose 2-1 in Atlanta.

Tuchel faces an unlikely critic

Tuchel’s tactical choices during England’s semi-final loss have drawn criticism from an unexpected figure — President Trump. England appeared on course for a place in the final after Anthony Gordon opened the scoring, but Tuchel’s switch to a back five — eventually closing the match with six defenders — allowed Argentina to take control in the final stages. Lionel Messi provided assists for Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez, leading the South Americans to a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory.

Trump questions tactical call

Speaking alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino during an event at Trump Tower, Trump recalled his friendship with Kane from a previous golf outing before questioning Tuchel’s tactical adjustments.

Trump remarked: “You have a great player in England, who I played golf with. You know that, right? Harry, who’s been fantastic. I think they might have made a mistake when they turned him into a defensive player.

“What do I know about soccer? They took the lead, and then they put their best player in defence. You’ve got to be a bit offensive, right? But I’m not going to call it. What do I know about coaching? It was unusual, but Harry’s a great guy, honestly.”

Manager dismisses defensive criticism

Tuchel brushed off Trump’s remarks while defending England’s tactical setup and Kane’s responsibilities on the pitch. Addressing reporters before the third-place playoff against France, the England manager commented: “Do you use Donald Trump as your witness for the case or...? I’m just asking.

“In which situation did Harry play too deep? What do you mean? Like in the last 30 minutes? Well, we defended in a deep block — that’s what you do when you defend in a block. We weren’t active enough, we couldn’t break out of it, but when you defend deep, everyone takes part in defending. That’s what team spirit, togetherness, and mentality mean in football terms.

“We defend as ten and as eleven players, and if we’re pushed into a deep block, Harry defends in that block. He did it for spells in the first half as well. The difference was that we managed to push out and find the triggers to move upfield. But everything we do, we do together as a team.

“The team spirit, unity, and mentality we’ve built over the past six and a half weeks are not to be questioned. Even defensively, it showed. We became too passive in the last 30 minutes — couldn’t keep the ball, couldn’t win duels. That’s the next step we need to take, and from there, we move forward.”

FA support remains strong

England will now turn their attention to a challenging third-place playoff against France on Saturday. Despite the criticism following the semi-final collapse, reports from ESPN indicate that Tuchel’s position remains entirely secure, with the Football Association (FA) continuing to back him fully to lead the national team into Euro 2028.