World Cup 2026: Thomas Tuchel says England will stick to Southgate penalty plan

England coach Thomas Tuchel announced that his team would follow his predecessor Sir Gareth Southgate’s penalty shoot-out plan in the World Cup.

Tuchel’s team will face the Democratic Republic of Congo in the first qualifying match of the tournament on Wednesday, and this scenario will bring out the potential for penalties.

The match, which will kick off at 17.00 GMT in Atlanta, will be broadcast live on BBC One and iPlayer.

Before Southgate’s appointment as manager in 2016, the national team had a poor record in penalty shoot-outs in major tournaments, winning just one in seven matches.

But under Southgate, England have taken their penalty preparation to a new level, resulting in three out of four successes between 2018 and 2024.

“F.A. [Football Association] There is a program that has been implemented for years and we are following this program,” Tuchel said.

“We are ready. We have a process, the players have a process.”

Despite the plan, Tuchel also added a note of caution.

“I think it is difficult to simulate the situation [of a shootout]” he said.

“I heard Thierry Henry say that in his first penalty kick for France he couldn’t remember the distance from the halfway line to the penalty spot; you can’t train that.”

Asked whether players would be given the option to take penalties, Tuchel said: “We know who takes them and the order, but we don’t know who will finish the game.” he replied.