Tuchel Insists England Are 'Closer Than Ever' After Bellingham Fallout: 'No Cracks'

Published 15 July 2026 · sports

Tuchel Insists England Are 'Closer Than Ever' After Bellingham Fallout: 'No Cracks' Published By, Last Updated: July 15, 2026, 22:18 IST Thomas Tuchel says England

Tuchel Insists England Are 'Closer Than Ever' After Bellingham Fallout: 'No Cracks' Published By, Last Updated: July 15, 2026, 22:18 IST Thomas Tuchel says England are "closer than ever" after holding a squad meeting following the Norway fallout, insisting there are "no cracks" ahead of the World Cup semi-final. Rapid Read Jude Bellingham with ENG coach Thomas Tuchel (AP) Thomas Tuchel insists England have put the Jude Bellingham controversy firmly behind them after holding a squad meeting to clear the air following the dramatic World Cup quarter-final victory over Norway. England’s 2-1 extra-time win sparked headlines for reasons beyond the result after Tuchel labelled parts of his side’s performance “sloppy". Bellingham responded by saying the German coach “maybe doesn’t know what it’s like to play in those conditions," referring to the intense heat and humidity in Miami. But speaking ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina, Tuchel revealed he addressed the entire squad after returning to camp and believes the episode has actually strengthened the group.

‘We’re Closer Than Ever’ Tuchel stressed there was never any issue with Bellingham’s comments and said the same competitive mindset drove both of them. “I think we come from the same place," Tuchel said. “Our comments come from the same place, from being competitive and having the edge when competition is on." The England boss explained that he revisited the Norway performance with the squad before immediately shifting the focus to Argentina. “I spoke to the whole team, we debriefed," Tuchel said. “I spoke to the whole team after in the dressing room, which was basically the same message." He later told talkSPORT that he and Bellingham are now “more close than ever before." “What do you expect of a player that just gave everything and stands there in front of a microphone in a flash interview?" Tuchel said. “It’s just what it is, but we’re as close as ever, and close more than ever before. You can see that on the field.

The energy and mentality in camp is excellent in the last days and we are ready to go for it tomorrow." All Eyes On Argentina With the Norway drama now parked, Tuchel wants England fully focused on defending champions Argentina, describing Lionel Scaloni’s side as a team “fuelled by history." England now head into one of their biggest matches in decades as they chase a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Key Questions Answered Will England overcome Argentina to reach the World Cup final? I cannot make predictions about future sporting events. According to news reports, England coach Thomas Tuchel believes his team is "closer than ever" to reaching the World Cup final and has found a way to get past Argentina. How will the Bellingham incident impact team dynamics long-term? England coach Thomas Tuchel insists the team is "closer than ever" after a squad meeting to address the fallout from the Jude Bellingham controversy following their World Cup quarter-final win over Norway.