England began the 2026 World Cup with a convincing 4-2 victory over Croatia, and the article argues the most important change was not just the scoreline or the stars, but the way England played like a club side. Published on June 23, 2026 at 18:09, the piece says Thomas Tuchel’s appointment has given the national team a clear identity, something England had lacked in recent years under Gareth Southgate.
Tuchel, 52, is described as a coach with a defined style that he has already shown at Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, built on pressing, attacking football and tactical flexibility. The article says his methods make him unusually well suited to international football because his teams can shift shape during matches, moving from 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3 depending on whether they have the ball.
Harry Kane is central to that approach. Tuchel coached him at Bayern Munich, where Kane scored 36 goals and made eight assists in 32 matches in his first season. Kane’s ability to drop deep and start attacks, already visible at Tottenham, is presented as one of England’s key weapons, alongside Jude Bellingham’s late runs into the box. England also arrived with a clear hierarchy, leaving out names such as Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, while players like Noni Madueke, Anthony Gordon, Ollie Watkins and Eberechi Eze provided work rate and depth.
The numbers underline the intensity. England covered 102 kilometers overall, Gordon ran 7.4 kilometers in 72 minutes with 19 sprints, Kane ran 11 kilometers, and Bellingham ran 8.7 kilometers. The team was not flawless, with major errors by Reece James and Ezri Konsa leading to Croatia’s goals and Jordan Pickford able to do better on the second. Even so, the article says England looked far more like a well-drilled club team, and if they are to win the World Cup for the first time in 60 years, this opening performance suggests they may finally have a side worth watching.
