World Cup 2026
Can Tuchel finally defeat the ancient curse?
December 29, 2025 – 6:17 p.mReading time: 6 minutes
Eight wins, no goals conceded in qualifying and what feels like an endlessly deep squad: England is bursting with strength before the World Cup – if it weren’t for this one curse.
England comes to the 2026 World Cup with a flawless qualification record: eight games, eight wins, 22:0 goals. German coach Thomas Tuchel has given the team a new structure since he started in January and is drawing from a seemingly endless reservoir of talented and experienced players.
Despite the impeccable qualification, Tuchel likes to practice understatement, although it must be clear to him: the title can only be the goal for his team. Since 1966, England has been waiting longingly for their second World Cup victory and beats themselves every four years. In terms of sport, there is little to complain about: With Harry Kane at the forefront, England is delivering the desired results. The question is more about how stable the team remains when things get tight. And that could also be the case in World Cup Group L.
England won UEFA qualifying group K without losing a point and without conceding a goal. The path was confident, but not free of warning signals. At the start, the team defeated Albania (2:0) and Latvia (3:0). Both games already showed a pattern: lots of ball possession, high pass security – but Tuchel’s team struggled against deep opponents. The 1-0 win in Andorra in June in particular was a tough affair, with England looking for solutions for a long time.
The turning point of the qualification came away in Serbia. In the 5-0 win in September, England appeared dominant for the first time against a physically strong opponent, combining high pressing with quick transition play and clear control of the penalty area. This game was considered the benchmark internally. Finally, England also won in Albania (2-0). Tuchel then spoke of a “perfect qualification”, but at the same time emphasized that perfection in national team football is an illusion.
England play in Group L against Croatia, Ghana and Panama.
England will play all group games in the USA. After the opening game in Texas, the team will stay on the East Coast. As far as travel hardships go, things could have been worse.