England will face Croatia in their Group L opener in Dallas on Wednesday, marking the first World Cup match for coach Thomas Tuchel. The 52-year-old German, appointed in 2024, is only the third foreign manager in England’s history after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello. As the team aims for a first World Cup title since 1966, Tuchel said he is not yet prepared to sing the national anthem but might consider it if England wins the tournament. When questioned on the topic, he replied, “Not yet. I think we are not there yet. At the very end maybe. I am still a bit shy. I don’t want to offend people and don’t want to have the focus on that now.” He confirmed he knows the words, noting they are not difficult to learn. Tuchel took charge after Gareth Southgate stepped down following England’s Euro 2024 exit. He previously led Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich to league titles and Chelsea to the Champions League in 2021. England has won all World Cup qualifiers under him, recording 11 victories in 14 matches. He is also one of only two England coaches to win nine of their first ten games. Based in Munich, Tuchel travels to England for training camps and said he feels at home there, a feeling he first experienced while managing Chelsea. He added that he must earn the right to sing the anthem through results and by building team unity.
