Joe Hart said Thomas Tuchel did not believe in his team following England’s FIFA World Cup exit. The Three Lions threw away a one-goal lead to lose 2-1 against Argentina in Atlanta.

After a goalless first half, Anthony Gordon gave England the lead in the 55th minute. It appeared as though the Three Lions would reach their second World Cup final after holding the lead beyond the 80-minute mark, but Argentina scored two late goals to send England out of the tournament.

Speaking to the BBC after the match, Hart did not hold back in his assessment of Tuchel’s tactical changes. The former England goalkeeper claimed the German made the same mistakes his predecessor Gareth Southgate made in big games.

Notably, Tuchel put all his players behind the ball after England took the lead. In a move that drew criticism, the former Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea manager took off goalscorer Gordon and brought on center-half Ezri Konsa in the 72nd minute.

After a few minutes, Tuchel opted for a more defensive approach as he introduced two more defenders, effectively going five at the back.

Prior to the match against Argentina, Tuchel’s men were unbeaten in the tournament, winning five of their six games, including a victory over Norway in the quarter-final after 120 minutes of football.

Tuchel defended his decision to adopt a back five in Wednesday’s semi-final against Argentina. Responding to criticism of switching very early to a defensive approach, Tuchel stated that he also made offensive substitutions and explained that he switched to a back five because he wanted to close up the spaces.

Since winning the tournament in 1966, the Three Lions have not reached the final of the FIFA World Cup. Their best run since their title-winning campaign have been semi-final appearances in the 2018 and the 2026 editions.

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