England ‘brave enough to dream’ of World Cup glory, says Thomas Tuchel

England manager Thomas Tuchel said his team is brave enough to dream of World Cup glory. England had confirmed their place in next year’s FIFA World Cup after they had comprehensively beaten Latvia by 2-0 in Riga.

England and Scotland will learn their group stage opponents on Friday at the finals draw in Washington, D.C.

Meanwhile, the German manager took over the coaching baton from Gareth Southgate in the autumn of 2024. England’s only win at the World Cup stage came back in 1966. The Three Lions have qualified for the finals of the last two editions of the Euros but could not cross the final hurdle.

Asked if he was even more confident now that England could win it than he was when he accepted the job, he told BBC Sport: “Yes, because we have got better. We have to arrive and try to make a special thing happen, but we cannot guarantee it.”

He added in a separate interview with ITV Sport: “Everyone knows that we cannot promise that we will win it, but they want to see a team, team spirit, a team that gives everything [and] fights for each other and they want that if they are in the stadium or watching on the TV.

“If the players bring that then I think anything is possible. We will be brave enough to dream about it, we will be brave enough to try it.”

Meanwhile, the World Cup will be played in hot conditions in the USA, along with Mexico and Canada and Tuchel is open to keeping his players in the dressing room to keep them cool.

“If this is what helps us later in the match when they come on, OK, we consider that as a possibility,” he told the BBC.

“Nobody likes it as I want the players to be out here and feel the energy and give the energy from the bench onto the field, but I know what you mean. I saw teams doing this and players doing this at the Club World Cup. Hopefully we can avoid it. It is always better if they can be with us.”