Wayne Rooney Backs Thomas Tuchel for England Coach Role

Wayne Rooney believes the Football Association should stay the course with Thomas Tuchel – unless, somehow, Pep Guardiola can be prised into the England dugout.

Tuchel remains in place after England’s 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina on Wednesday, a night when a controlled 1-0 lead unravelled late on and his in-game decisions came under heavy fire. The German, though, has made it clear he intends to continue and take the Three Lions into Euro 2028.

Rooney, speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, backed that stance, but only up to a point.

“I don't see anyone else out there at the minute, unless you go and get Pep Guardiola. If Pep is available, then maybe you go and get him,” the former England captain said, laying out the stark choice as he sees it.

Tuchel’s substitutions in the semi-final have been pored over since the final whistle, with England losing control just when they seemed to have Argentina where they wanted them. Yet Rooney argued that the FA should resist the emotional pull of a post-tournament reset and recognise the calibre of coach already in place.

“I think he is a top-class manager and what the top managers do, they learn from the mistakes and they improve and get better,” Rooney said. “If we sack him, what managers are we going to bring in? And I don't think there's anyone out there who's as good as Thomas Tuchel, unless Guardiola.”

The debate goes beyond tactics and touchline decisions. For Rooney, Tuchel’s lack of World Cup experience was always going to be a factor in how this campaign played out.

“The big thing for me is he's not experienced at World Cups. We had the exact same with [Fabio] Capello,” Rooney pointed out. “The World Cup is different and you need to feel that environment and now he's felt it.”

Tuchel’s position is strengthened by the contract he signed in February – a two-year extension to the 18‑month deal he agreed when he was appointed in January 2025, a role framed explicitly as a mission to win the World Cup. The FA had sounded out Guardiola before turning to Tuchel, with reports of a verbal agreement at one stage, but it was the former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager who eventually took charge of England’s campaign.

Rooney did not hide his unease at how that contract was handled.

“I think the FA told us that Thomas Tuchel was coming in to win the World Cup and take us to the next level,” he said. “It's a little bit strange if its priority was to win the World Cup, but then you get a two-year contract before you actually go to the World Cup. That's a bit strange.”

So the picture is clear. In Rooney’s eyes, England either commit fully to Tuchel, armed now with the scars and lessons of a World Cup near-miss – or they rip up the plan for one man only: Pep Guardiola.