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Tuchel’s tactics shine as Three Lions stir ahead of World Cup
The Star
|November 18, 2025
ENGLAND wrapped up their flawless World Cup qualifying campaign with a record-setting 2-0 win against Albania on Sunday.
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The Three Lions, who took maximum points from their eight games, became the first European team to win every one of their World Cup qualifiers without conceding a single goal in a campaign lasting at least six matches.
Here, we look at three key factors that can help Thomas Tuchel’s side triumph at next year’s tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico:
Tuchel’s tactical acumen
After a slow start to his reign, Thomas Tuchel has gradually revitalised England over the last 11 months, with his astute tactical moves proving especially influential.
Tuchel’s predecessor Gareth Southgate was often criticised for his cautious gameplan and slow response to situations that demanded substitutes to change momentum. Southgate’s innate conservatism was costly in England’s European Championship final losses to Italy in 2021 and Spain in 2024, as well as the 2018 World Cup semifinal defeat against Croatia.
This story is from the November 18, 2025 edition of The Star.
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