We simulated Thomas Tuchel's England playing at 2026 World Cup and the results are mind-blowing
We simulated Thomas Tuchel's England at the 2026 World Cup - and there were some major surprises.
Tuchel names his first England squad on Friday ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia on March 21 and March 24.
The German has signed an 18-month contract with the FA that will see him remain in charge of the Three Lions until the end of the 2026 World Cup.
England will be among the favourites to win the tournament, under a manager that has won the Champions League and with a squad that will have two years' more experience from the Euro 2024 final.
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So with that in mind, we've taken a look at how Tuchel could fare at the tournament using Football Manager.
The system
Football Manager predicts that Tuchel will opt for a four-defender formation that he used throughout his time at Borussia Dortmund, PSG and Bayern Munich.
He lines up with a 4-2-3-1 that features the right-back playing further up than his team-mate on the opposite flank, with a deep-lying playmaker operating in midfield.
The squad
Tuchel springs a number of surprises with his 2026 World Cup squad and starting XI.
Aaron Ramsdale has overtaken Jordan Pickford as England's number one goalkeeper, while Rico Lewis gets the nod at right-back. Luke Shaw is in at left-back.
Jarell Quansah, meanwhile, is included as a regular starter as the right centre-back, alongside the ever-present Marc Guehi.
Trent Alexander-Arnold operates in midfield as the deep-lying playmaker, alongside Kobbie Mainoo - who is still at Manchester United.
Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Alex Scott and Marcus Rashford all rotate behind the front three.
Harry Kane, meanwhile, is still England's lead striker and captain, with Jarrod Bowen replacing him up front when required.
The biggest surprise in the squad is Liverpool defender Luke Chambers. The left-back is on loan at League One side Wigan Athletic this season but is predicted to have a meteoric rise.
Bayern Munich's Michael Olise is also included, with the winger having yet to declare for France - or join Bayern from Crystal Palace - when Football Manager's latest update was released.
The World Cup
England secure their passage through the group stage with three wins out of three - an 8-1 thrashing of Suriname, a 2-0 win over Morocco and a stunning 6-0 victory over Chile.
They then face Spain in the new last 32 stage, winning 1-0.
A 3-1 win over Ivory Coast follows, before England get revenge on France for being knocked out at the quarter-final stage in 2022 by defeating them on penalties.
A narrow 1-0 win over Uruguay in the semi-final books Tuchel's side their place in the 2026 World Cup final - against Euro 2020 final opponents Italy.
The final
In a repeat of Euro 2020, England and Italy draw 1-1 in normal time at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.
Italy go 1-0 up on 66 minutes through former West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca.
Tuchel provoked virtual outrage by picking Bowen ahead of Kane up front, but the Hammers star levelled things up on 77 minutes.
The game once again went to penalties, with a staggering 20 combined spot kicks being taken by the two sides.
It all boiled down to Italy centre-back Alessandro Buongiorno - who missed his penalty, and left England and Tuchel to celebrate the nation's first World Cup success in exactly 60 years.
How do you think Thomas Tuchel's England will get on at the 2026 World Cup? Let us know in the comments section below.
Topics: England, Thomas Tuchel, Football Manager
Ryan Smart