When will Thomas Tuchel name his first England squad? Ex-Chelsea boss takes first steps towards 2026 World Cup
Published 11/03/2025 at 11:05 GMT
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Thomas Tuchel is set to name his first England squad ahead of FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia later this month. The German was announced as Gareth Southgate's permanent successor back in October and officially began his role on January 1. Since then, Tuchel has been spotted at a spate of Premier League games and is said to be in touch with 55 prospective players.
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Thomas Tuchel is set to name his first England squad ahead of FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia later this month.
The German UEFA Champions League-winning manager was announced as Gareth Southgate’s successor in October last year, but did not formally take charge of the team until January 1.
Since officially taking the reins, Tuchel has been a regular at Premier League matches this season and, as per Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham, has been in touch with 55 players ahead of potential call-ups.
The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss is known to have made contact with James Maddison, while Ben White - who has been in self-enforced exile from England since the 2022 World Cup - is also widely reported to have been approached over a return.
Meanwhile, Arsenal duo Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, and Crystal Palace pair Tyrick Mitchell and Adam Wharton, will all be hoping to be involved for the Albania and Latvia qualifiers, which take place on March 21 and March 24 respectively.
So when will Tuchel announce his squad?
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When will Thomas Tuchel announce his England squad?
Tuchel will announce his first-ever England squad on Friday, March 14.
It will be the first step on a road the FA hopes will end in World Cup victory in 2026.
Tuchel has signed an 18-month contract - covering one major tournament - and has been tasked with claiming the Three Lions’ first major silverware since the 1966 World Cup.
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His contract stands in contrast to the four-year deal handed to Southgate when he was appointed in November 2016. Then the emphasis had been on building a culture for years to come.
"The target is to win the World Cup, so I don't know if it is a failure [if we don't]," Tuchel said when unveiled back in October.
"If we miss the target, then we would have to talk about why we missed it."
The 2026 World Cup finals will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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