It’s 60 years since Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and co. inspired England to their first-ever World Cup title against West Germany. Could you imagine telling those inside Wembley on the day Moore hoisted the Jules Rimet trophy above his head that it would be a German who the FA turn towards to try and inspire England’s next World Cup win?
That’s the state of play heading into the 2026 World Cup, with Thomas Tuchel just the second-ever foreigner to manage England. But how much does the nationality of the Three Lions boss actually matter?
It’s a debate that has been ongoing ever since Tuchel was appointed by the FA, with critics suggesting the England manager ought to have come from these shores. History tells us that hiring a foreigner isn’t conducive to success at the World Cup, with no non-native manager having ever won the tournament.
However, after agonisingly missing out on a major trophy under Gareth Southgate, many were ready for a change and believe giving Tuchel a chance was the right thing to do. But what do you reckon? Should the England manager be English? Vote in our Express Sport poll below…
One man who believes the England manager should be English is former international Gary Neville. In the aftermath of Gareth Southgate’s resignation in 2024, the ex-Manchester United ace remarked: “[The next manager] will have to win a trophy to surpass what Gareth has achieved.
“Over the years we have had every type of manager – the fashionable, the international manager, best English managers, people who have come through the ranks with youth teams. There is no science in terms of what works and there are obvious contenders. Graham Potter and Eddie Howe will get mentioned and I think it will definitely be an English manager.
“Moving to St George’s Park was to promote and develop English coaches. To take that away from an English manager and give to an international manager would be wrong.”
England are expected to progress from their group and if they do so as winners, they’ll be rewarded with a round-of-32 clash against a third-place team. However, it could be a last-16 match against co-hosts Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, with Brazil their most likely quarter-final opponents, should they make it that far.