​After clinching a spot in the semi-finals with a 2-1 victory over Norway, tensions surfaced within the England national team. Immediately after the final whistle, Thomas Tuchel spoke bluntly, saying, “I’m not happy with the players’ performance. We made the game incredibly difficult for ourselves.” When Jude Bellingham was later asked about the remark in the mixed zone, the Real Madrid star offered his perspective: “Maybe. But perhaps he doesn’t know what it’s like to play under these conditions against Erling Haaland, Ødegaard, Nusa, Sörloth. It’s not easy to play against this team.” The discussion didn’t end there; Harry Kane was also queried about the somewhat indirect exchange. In a press conference on Sunday, the Bayern forward weighed in, supporting the coach’s stance.
“He knows full well that it’s not that easy. We’re facing top-class opponents and strong teams. He’s trying to get the best out of us, and we know ourselves that we can reach a higher level. We haven’t quite shown that yet, even though we’ve already seen some signs of it,” Kane reflected in a self-critical assessment, a remark cited by RMC Sport. Turning to the team’s attacking display, he added: “When Thomas Tuchel watches us in training, when he sees our togetherness and what we’re capable of—especially with the players we have, the way we attack, our one-on-one duels and our technique—then he simply wants to see exactly that version of us.”
With the World Cup looming in the quarterfinals, England, captained by Kane and featuring Bellingham in a starring role, prepare to face reigning world champions Argentina on Wednesday in the semi-finals (kick-off at 9 p.m. German time). Kane acknowledged that one of the world’s best teams now stands in their path, recognizing the magnitude of the challenge ahead.
“The positive thing is that we’re in the semi-finals and at the same time feel that we can still improve,” the Bayern forward said with cautious optimism. “But I don’t think there’s any need to worry too much about it. We’re showing a lot of good things.” If England can reach the final, the dream of clinching a first World Cup title since 1966 would remain alive.
This article has been translated into English by AI. For the original German version, you can read it here.