sports
England lost to Argentina in 2026 World Cup semi-final
Club managers including Thomas Tuchel and Carlo Ancelotti exited early at the 2026 tournament. Spain and Argentina reached the final scheduled for July 19.
Jul 18, 12:36 PM·1m read2 sources
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England lost to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final on July 15 at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Thomas Tuchel, in charge of England for 18 months, drew criticism for defensive tactics after the team surrendered a lead. Brazil exited in the round of 16 after a loss to Norway.
Carlo Ancelotti had managed the side for one year. Germany was eliminated by Paraguay in the round of 32, prompting Julian Nagelsmann to resign. The United States lost its opening match to Belgium. Mauricio Pochettino managed the team.
Spain and Argentina advanced to the final on July 19. Forbes reported that Tuchel, Ancelotti, Pochettino and Nagelsmann entered the tournament after major club successes yet struggled with limited preparation time. Tuchel used the final pre-tournament international break for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan featuring fringe players rather than building team chemistry.
Luis de la Fuente of Spain and Lionel Scaloni of Argentina, who had not managed top-flight league sides, reached the final. Forbes noted their prior work within national federations allowed faster development of team ethos compared with the club coaches.
