Tuchel: 'We want to win the group'

England head coach Thomas Tuchel offered his verdict on the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw which was made earlier this evening, live from Washington, DC.

Tuchel, who was in attendance at the at the John F. Kennedy Centre for Performing Arts, ran the rule over Group L, where England were placed, along with Croatia, Ghana and Panama.

“We have Croatia and Ghana – two regulars in World Cups – and we have Panama,” he explained.

“I don’t know much about Panama but we will know everything about them when the tournament starts.

“For me personally, even in Champions League, you have to focus on the group – the group is always the most difficult and we want to escape and we want to win the group. It’s a tough one.”

The Three Lions will kick off next summer’s tournament with a game against Croatia, who England came up against in the semi-final of the 2018 iteration of the World Cup.

However, the England boss described Group L as a ‘difficult group’ overall.

“No one should be underestimated,” continued Tuchel. “Of course, Croatia is the standout name [and] the highest-ranked team from Pot 2 that we got into our group. It’s a difficult opener against Croatia. We take it from here.

“Ghana is always full of talent and can always surprise and has a big history in World Cup football. Also, Panama will try to make the most in the underdog role. No one can be underestimated – everyone deserves the fullest respect and we will show that.”

Tuchel and his team will discover match dates and kick-off times which are set to be announced tomorrow evening, with the tournament taking place across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

“For me, I’ve only experienced group football in Champions League formats,” said Tuchel. “The way to approach it was always to give the biggest respect and to put all the focus into winning the group. It always seems difficult, like our group now but we’re confident.

“We know now our opponents, we know that we will start late in the tournament which gives us a bit of time. I know that if you start late in the tournament, the schedule becomes more condensed.

“The focus will be totally on the group. It’s always a challenge with four ambitious teams together to come out on top. This is where all the energy will go.

And Tuchel is looking forward to taking charge of England at his first major tournament.

“I think full steam ahead,” he asserted. “I’m now fully focused on the opponents. I’m looking forward to get the tournament started.

“I would love to start next week because now the excitement is high.”