Tuchel Keeps England Focused on World Cup Final, Not History

'We don't speak about historic events': Tuchel keeps England's eyes on FIFA World Cup final spot

Atlanta, July 15

The winners of the heavyweight contest at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium will face Spain in Sunday's World Cup final after La Roja defeated France 2-0 in the first semi-final.

While England and Argentina have produced some of the most memorable matches in World Cup history, Tuchel said his squad has deliberately avoided dwelling on the past.

"I would say it's irrelevant, but I'm not sure about it," Tuchel told reporters on the eve of the semi-final, as per Reuters.

"I think the players are very aware of both countries, what it means to them. If a fixture provides so many iconic moments, I think you cannot just say it's just another football match," he added.

The rivalry includes Diego Maradona's famous "Hand of God" goal during Argentina's 1986 quarter-final victory and England's penalty shootout defeat in the 1998 Round of 16, but Tuchel believes the occasion itself provides enough motivation.

"But as a coach, we do exactly that: focus on what we can influence. We don't actually speak about the historic events. We don't speak about the iconic moments. It's in itself iconic enough, and attention is big enough," Tuchel said.

England have reached their fourth major tournament semi-final since 2018 after coming from behind to beat Norway 2-1 after extra time in the quarter-finals. The Three Lions are now aiming to reach their first World Cup final since lifting the trophy on home soil in 1966.

Tuchel admitted the magnitude of the occasion naturally increases the pressure but said his focus has been on keeping preparations simple.

"The bigger the stage gets, the bigger the tension grows," he said. "So hopefully, we can simplify the messages enough that they can execute it."

Despite England's long wait for another World Cup final, Tuchel dismissed suggestions that history has become a burden for his players.

"I don't feel a burden," he said, as per Reuters. "I will feel the nerves and the tension tomorrow. That just comes normal in these matches."

Instead, the German highlighted the hunger within his squad.

"What I really like in the last days is that the players are very competitive, they are very excited, they are hungry to play this match," he said.

"The two (England and Argentina) shirts are just iconic. The historic matches are iconic. There are iconic moments, but everyone recognises these shirts. Straight away, everyone recognises the players," Tuchel added.

He further added, "It is an absolute beauty in the magnitude of a match, in the magnitude of an occasion."

Tuchel also brushed aside talk of becoming the first foreign coach to guide England to a World Cup title.

"It just doesn't work like this for me," he said. "I don't have these kind of goals and don't set these goals. I just love what I do, and I'm grateful for the opportunity."

The England boss added that representing the country on football's biggest stage carries a responsibility beyond results.

"I think that's essentially what the World Cup is for -- to excite the country, to excite fans and to transmit energy and make people forget their worries, make people's lives better for 90, 120 minutes and be united and represented by a team," he said.

"There's so much to love about this England squad, and I'm very glad that people feel it," he added.

Although Argentina captain Lionel Messi has dominated the build-up, Tuchel stressed England will remain true to their own identity.

"We know why we're here. We know what we want," he said. "We are in the semi-finals. We arrived very hungry in the semi-finals. We want to have the next win."

"We respect our opponent, but we don't dip into historic events, and we don't make it bigger than it is. It's a big football match, a big occasion," the England head coach added.

Tuchel also acknowledged the challenge posed by Messi, who has been one of the tournament's standout performers.

"Once Leo Messi has the ball, the movement starts, and just the technical execution of the delivery and of the supply of Messi is on the absolutely highest level," he said.

"So there's a lot to take care of, but we are here to impose our style, to impose our strengths," he concluded.

Argentina enter the semi-final with six wins from six matches and a 12-game winning streak at the World Cup, while England will hope to end that run and book a place in Sunday's final against Spain.

— ANI