Pep Guardiola reached an agreement with England in 2024. Why was Thomas Tuchel appointed instead?

England reached the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup but suffered a 2-1 defeat, and it has now emerged that the Three Lions could have been led by a different head coach.

Details: According to The Athletic, the Football Association reached a verbal agreement with Pep Guardiola in 2024. The Spaniard was England's first-choice candidate to take charge of the national team.

However, Guardiola ultimately decided to remain at Manchester City, prompting England to appoint Thomas Tuchel instead.

England will face France in the 2026 FIFA World Cup third-place play-off on Saturday, July 18. Kick-off is scheduled for 23:00 CET.

As a reminder: The Football Association has already made a decision regarding whether Thomas Tuchel will remain as England's head coach.