Thomas Tuchel seen in heated talk with England player who helped them stay in the World Cup
Cameras caught Thomas Tuchel loudly shouting at one of his England players just before a big moment that changed the game.
England came into the Atlanta Stadium in Georgia as strong favorites to reach the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, facing DR Congo in their first knockout match.
But the Three Lions got a surprise when Congo’s forward Brian Cipenga scored an early goal in just the seventh minute.
England kept creating chances, but Congo’s goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi made some fantastic saves that kept the Three Lions frustrated.
As he has done many times this summer, captain Harry Kane stepped up when it mattered most, scoring two goals in the 75th and 86th minutes to secure a 2-1 win for England.
However, it wasn’t just Kane’s amazing finish that helped England win. Just before the first goal, manager Tuchel made an important decision that may have saved England’s chances.
After about 60 minutes, cameras showed Tuchel angrily shouting at defender Djed Spence, who started at right-back due to injuries to Reece James and Jarell Quansah.
Spence had struggled during the World Cup so far, and it wasn’t only Tuchel who was frustrated.
One fan on X asked, “What was Tuchel really expecting from Djed Spence?”
Another added, “Defensively he’s a problem, and not good going forward.”
And another said, “Hopefully that’s the end of the Djed Spence experiment for England. Nothing against him, but he’s not ready to start against strong teams.”
Just 10 minutes after Tuchel’s outburst, he made a key move by taking Spence off and bringing on Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze.
Tuchel then moved Declan Rice to right-back to let Eze join England’s attack, and just four minutes later, Kane scored the equalizer.
Not long after that, Kane scored again to put England ahead. While Eze didn’t score directly, his energy helped England finish the game strong.
With this win, England will now face Mexico in the round of 16 at 1am BST on Monday, July 6, at the Azteca stadium.
Before the match, many will wonder if Eze will start for the first time in the 2026 World Cup, with Rice possibly staying at right-back if James and Quansah are still injured.