Wayne Rooney Backs Thomas Tuchel Amid Guardiola Speculation

Wayne Rooney believes the Football Association should stay the course with Thomas Tuchel – unless the dream scenario of landing Pep Guardiola suddenly opens up.

Tuchel remains in position after England’s 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina on Wednesday, a night when a controlled 1-0 lead dissolved into late chaos and fierce scrutiny of the German’s changes from the bench. He has made it clear he wants to continue and take the Three Lions into Euro 2028.

Rooney, though, drew a sharp line between backing Tuchel and ignoring the possibility of an upgrade.

On The Wayne Rooney Show, the former England captain was blunt about the FA’s options.

"I don't see anyone else out there at the minute, unless you go and get Pep Guardiola. If Pep is available, then maybe you go and get him," he said.

The FA had already tested that route once. Before appointing Tuchel in January 2025 on an 18‑month deal aimed squarely at winning the World Cup, they sounded out the former Manchester City manager and, according to reports, even reached a verbal agreement. In February this year, they doubled down on Tuchel, handing him a two‑year extension before a ball was kicked in the tournament.

Rooney understands the logic of backing an elite coach. He also understands the price of tearing everything up.

"I think he is a top-class manager and what the top managers do, they learn from the mistakes and they improve and get better," he said of Tuchel. "If we sack him, what managers are we going to bring in? And I don't think there's anyone out there who's as good as Thomas Tuchel, unless Guardiola."

That “unless” hangs over the whole debate. Guardiola is the one name Rooney is willing to place above Tuchel. Anyone else, in his eyes, would be a downgrade.

Rooney did, however, highlight what he sees as Tuchel’s blind spot on the international stage – one England have lived through before.

"But the big thing for me is he's not experienced at World Cups. We had the exact same with [Fabio] Capello. The World Cup is different and you need to feel that environment and now he's felt it."

The implication is clear: Tuchel has taken his hit, learned the rhythm and pressure of a World Cup, and should be better for it when the next major tournament comes around.

Rooney also questioned the FA’s timing over Tuchel’s contract, given the brief he was supposedly hired to fulfil.

"I think the FA told us that Thomas Tuchel was coming in to win the World Cup and take us to the next level," he said. "It's a little bit strange if its priority was to win the World Cup, but then you get a two-year contract before you actually go to the World Cup. That's a bit strange."

So the picture is complicated. A semi-final exit, a coach under fire for in-game decisions, but still regarded by one of England’s greatest players as the best man for the job – unless the FA can finally turn that long‑standing Guardiola fantasy into something real.