FA supports Tuchel as Guardiola's England opportunity resurfaces

Pep Guardiola once shook hands on the England job. At least verbally. Now, with the country licking its wounds after another World Cup heartbreak, that near-miss has roared back into focus.

England’s semi-final defeat to Argentina – a late collapse after leading – has left Thomas Tuchel under fierce scrutiny. His tactics, substitutions and game management have all been pulled apart in the days since the loss, with a growing section of supporters and pundits questioning whether he is the man to take this team any further.

In the background stands Guardiola, freshly out of work after leaving Manchester City at the end of last season. For many, he is the dream candidate. For the FA, he very nearly was much more than that.

The deal that never was

According to reporting from The Athletic, the FA’s long-standing admiration for Guardiola went far beyond polite conversations. The Catalan is said to have reached a verbal agreement to succeed Gareth Southgate as England manager, only to change course and sign an extension at City instead.

That decision forced the FA to pivot. With Guardiola off the table, attention turned to Thomas Tuchel, who was eventually appointed in January 2025.

Now, Guardiola is a free agent again. On the face of it, little has changed about his appeal. A serial winner, steeped in possession football and high-pressure environments, and someone who has already shown serious interest in the England project. The suggestion is that he would “presumably” still be open to the role, given he had previously agreed to take it.

But timing is everything in football. And this time, the door looks firmly bolted.

Contract clauses and a narrow escape

Tuchel’s future is not being decided in the heat of a semi-final exit. It was, in many ways, pre-written into his contract.

The FA inserted performance-related clauses that allowed either side to walk away if England crashed out of the World Cup before the quarter-finals. That was the safety net. A group-stage failure or a timid last-16 exit would have triggered serious conversations, and potentially a clean break.

Those clauses never came close to being activated.

Once it became clear England were on course to face Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in the last 16, a further exemption was agreed. That tie, loaded with altitude, atmosphere and history, was ring-fenced. Tuchel’s position would not be judged on one night in Mexico City. England then edged a wild 3-2 win, riding out a storm that could easily have ended their tournament there and then.

From that point on, the numbers were on Tuchel’s side. England reached the semi-finals – only the fourth time in their history they have gone that deep at a World Cup. By definition, the escape clauses stayed dormant. Legally and structurally, Tuchel’s job remained secure.

FA backs its man

Emotion after defeat can be savage. The FA, though, has moved to cool the noise.

In the wake of the Argentina loss, senior figures at Wembley have reaffirmed their commitment to Tuchel. A procedural post-tournament review will still take place, as it always does, but this is not being framed as a trial. It is expected to be a debrief, not a reckoning.

The direction of travel has been clear for some time. Earlier this year, Tuchel was handed a contract extension designed to keep him in charge through Euro 2028. That decision spoke to a long-term plan: a manager trusted to build, evolve and carry a core group of players through multiple tournaments.

Tuchel, for his part, has shown no sign of restlessness. When Manchester United came calling in January, testing the waters after sacking Ruben Amorim, he turned them away. England, at least from his side of the table, is not a stepping stone.

Guardiola waits, England stays the course

So where does that leave Guardiola? On the outside, watching a job he once verbally accepted stay out of reach.

The allure is obvious. A free-agent Guardiola, post-City, aligned with a talented England generation would be one of the most compelling international appointments in modern football. The fact that the FA once thought they had him only sharpens the sense of what might have been.

But the reality is blunt. England have just reached a World Cup semi-final. The manager has a fresh contract through Euro 2028. The performance clauses that could have opened the door to change never kicked in. And the governing body has publicly backed its man.

The debate will rage on in studios, columns and living rooms: stick with Tuchel’s structure or gamble on a new era under Guardiola if the chance ever truly comes again.

For now, though, England have chosen their path — and they are walking it with Thomas Tuchel.