Tuchel hails England's 6-4 France win as start of push toward elite football ranks

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Head coach Thomas Tuchel believes England have begun the work of catching up with the world's strongest football sides after securing third place at the 2026 tournament with a dramatic victory over France.

The match in sweltering Miami produced ten goals, with England prevailing 6-4. Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka struck three times for the winners, while France captain Kylian Mbappe added two to become the all-time leading goal scorer at World Cup finals.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's fixture, Tuchel reflected on the disappointment of England's 2-1 semi-final loss to Argentina on Wednesday. He emphasised that bridging the distance to the reigning champions, as well as to France and Spain, remains a priority.

The German manager has drawn sharp scrutiny from sections of the English press over the restrained approach that preceded the Argentina defeat. Even so, he insisted the result against France showed measurable improvement.

"We have the ability to close it but they have the ability to open it up again," he told the BBC. "Eight years ago they [France] were the champions. Four years ago they were in the final. There is a slight gap, but no problem. We want to close it.

"I said yesterday [Friday that] today [Saturday] is the first step to closing it. We did it. We beat them. The next one will be Spain in the Nations League.

"To see a team fight like this gives you energy; the tiredness will come after. We will still feel the pain when tomorrow is the final. This will take a while, but overall it gives me more energy than it takes from me."