Harry Kane reveals what Thomas Tuchel told England stars at half-time before they thrashed Croatia 4-2
England kicked off their World Cup campaign with an impressive victory against old foes Croatia on Wednesday night and it seems as if a lot of credit must go to the manager.
Thomas Tuchel has come in for his fair share of criticism after some big calls over the summer, which saw him leave big names such as Harry Maguire, Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold at home.
But the German manager, who is managing at his first tournament as England boss, helped the Three Lions get off to a perfect start in Group L ahead of fixtures against Ghana and Panama, even in spite of the 'huge heist' that went down at the England camp earlier in the tournament.
Harry Kane had twice given England the lead in the first-half only for Croatia to peg them back twice with two superb goals, but Tuchel's side went up a gear in the second half and Zlatko Dalić's side simply couldn't cope.
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The captain has now heaped praise on Tuchel for his words at half-time, which helped England race out of the blocks with an early second-half goal, before Marcus Rashford wrapped things up late on.
Speaking following the game, Kane said: “I thought it was a game of two halves. First half, we were OK. Really disappointed to concede in the way we did, I thought we dropped off.
“Credit to the manager, he gave us a speech at half-time and said if we lose, we lose in our way and I think we saw that in the way we came out in the second half.
“We went full gas and they couldn’t live with it. Credit to everyone for the first game of the tournament.
“Without the ball, we went a bit more aggressive. It was difficult. They have players like Luka Modric dropping in and you’re trying to figure out who to pick up.
“The intensity we want, it’s our biggest strength and we’ll have to use that more.
“The way we controlled the game once we went ahead, we never really looked like we were in danger and then scored on the counter-attack. We had a spell where we could have scored three or four.”
Jude Bellingham also paid tribute to the manager's inspiring team-talk, which clearly had an impact given his goal just two minutes after the break.
He said: “It wasn’t one of those where it was a big drama or standing up and shouting; it was what the team needed.
“We have a mature group with great leaders in there; everyone knew the level we had to get to. The start of the second half gave us a great platform.”
Although you might think that telling a team to lose in their own way is surprising advice at a World Cup, it clearly worked in England's favour and they will now be confident of topping Group L having dealt with perhaps the hardest group stage opposition.
When asked about his half-time pep talk, Tuchel added: “Even if we lose, it will not change my perception of the last 17 days but let’s do it our way.
“We were too focused on protecting the result. We were a back seven and we didn’t defend. If the result doesn’t go our way, we want to play our way. I tried to encourage them to go for it.”
Is it too early to start singing that it's coming home?
World Cup 2026 fixture schedule and UK kick off times
Thursday, 18 June
Group A: Czech Republic vs South Africa, kick-off 5pm - Atlanta, US
Group B: Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina, kick-off 8pm - Los Angeles, US
Group B: Canada vs Qatar, kick-off 11pm - Vancouver, Canada
Friday, 19 June
Group A: Mexico vs South Korea, kick-off 2am - Zapopan, Mexico
Group D: USA vs Australia, kick-off 8pm - Seattle, US
Group C: Scotland vs Morocco, kick-off 11pm - Foxborough, US
Saturday, 20 June
Group C: Brazil vs Haiti, kick-off 1.30am - Philadelphia, US
Group D: Turkey vs Paraguay, kick-off 4am - Santa Clara, US
Group A: Netherlands vs Sweden, kick-off 6pm - Houston, US
Group E: Germany vs Ivory Coast, kick-off 9pm - Toronto, Canada
Sunday, 21 June
Group E: Ecuador vs Curacao, kick-off 1am - Kansas City, US
Group F: Tunisia vs Japan, kick-off 5am - Guadalupe, Mexico
Group H: Spain vs Saudi Arabia, kick-off 5pm - Atlanta, US
Group G: Belgium vs Iran, kick-off 8pm - Los Angeles, US
Group H: Uruguay vs Cape Verde, kick-off 11pm - Miami, US
Monday, 22 June
Group G: New Zealand vs Egypt, kick-off 2am - Vancouver, Canada
Group J: Argentina vs Austria, kick-off 6pm - Arlington, US
Group I: France vs Iraq, kick-off 10pm - Philadelphia, US
Tuesday, 23 June
Group I: Norway vs Senegal, kick-off 1am - Toronto, Canada
Group J: Jordan vs Algeria, kick-off 4am - Santa Clara, US
Group K: Portugal vs Uzbekistan, kick-off 6pm - Houston, US
Group L: England vs Ghana, kick-off 9pm - Foxborough, US
Wednesday, 24 June
Group L: Panama vs Croatia, kick-off 12am - Foxborough, US
Group K: Colombia vs DR Congo, kick-off 3am - Zapopan, Mexico
Group B: Switzerland vs Canada, kick-off 8pm - Vancouver, Canada
Group B: Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar, kick-off 8pm - Seattle, US
Group C: Morocco vs Haiti, kick-off 11pm - Atlanta, US
Group C: Scotland vs Brazil, kick-off 11pm - Miami, US
Thursday, 25 June
Group A: South Africa vs South Korea, kick-off 2am - Guadalupe, Mexico
Group A: Czech Republic vs Mexico, kick-off 2am - Mexico City, Mexico
Group E: Curacao vs Ivory Coast, kick-off 9pm - Philadelphia, US
Group E: Ecuador vs Germany, kick-off 9pm - New Jersey, US
Friday, 26 June
Group F: Tunisia vs Netherlands, kick-off 12am - Kansas City, US
Group F: Japan vs Sweden, kick-off 12am - Arlington, US
Group D: Turkey vs USA, kick-off 3am - Los Angeles, US
Group D: Paraguay vs Australia, kick-off 3am - Santa Clara, US
Group I: Norway vs France, kick-off 8pm - Foxborough, US
Group I: Senegal vs Iraq, kick-off 8pm - Toronto, Canada
Saturday, 27 June
Group H: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia, kick-off 1am - Houston, US
Group H: Uruguay vs Spain, kick-off 1am - Zapopan, Mexico
Group G: New Zealand vs Belgium, kick-off 4am - Vancouver, Canada
Group G: Egypt vs Iran, kick-off 4am - Seattle, US
Group L: Panama vs England, kick-off 10pm - New Jersey, US
Group L: Croatia vs Ghana, kick-off 10pm - Philadelphia, US
Sunday, 28 June
Group K: Colombia vs Portugal, kick-off 12.30am - Miami, US
Group K: DR Congo vs Uzbekistan, kick-off 12.30am - Atlanta, US
Group J: Algeria vs Austria, kick-off 3am - Kansas City, US
Group J: Jordan vs Argentina, kick-off 3am - Arlington, US
Round of 32 - Match 73: Group A runners-up vs Group B runners-up, kick-off 8pm - Los Angeles, US
Monday, 29 June
Round of 32 - Match 76: Group C winners vs Group F runners-up, kick-off 6pm - Houston, US
Round of 32 - Match 74: Group E winners vs Group A/B/C/D/F third place, kick-off 9.30pm - Foxborough, US
Tuesday, 30 June
Round of 32 - Match 75: Group F winners vs Group C runners-up, kick-off 2am - Guadalupe, Mexico
Round of 32 - Match 78: Group E runners-up vs Group I runners-up, kick-off 6pm - Arlington, US
Round of 32 - Match 77: Group I winners vs Group C/D/F/G/H third place, kick-off 10pm - New Jersey, US
Wednesday, 1 July
Round of 32 - Match 79: Group A winners vs Group C/E/F/H/I third place, kick-off 2am - Mexico City, Mexico
Round of 32 - Match 80: Group L winners vs Group E/H/I/J/K third place, kick-off 5pm - Atlanta, US
Round of 32 - Match 82: Group G winners vs Group A/E/H/I/J third place, kick-off 9pm - Seattle, US
Thursday, 2 July
Round of 32 - Match 81: Group D winners vs Group B/E/F/I/J third place, kick-off 1am - Santa Clara, US
Round of 32 - Match 84: Group H winners vs Group J runners-up, kick-off 8pm - Los Angeles, US
Friday, 3 July
Round of 32 - Match 83: Group K runners-up vs Group L runners-up, kick-off 12am - Toronto, Canada
Round of 32 - Match 85: Group B winners vs Group E/F/G/I/J third place, kick-off 4am - Vancouver, Canada
Round of 32 - Match 88: Group D runners-up vs Group G runners-up, kick-off 7pm - Arlington, US
Round of 32 - Match 86: Group J winners vs Group H runners-up, kick-off 11pm - Miami, US
Saturday, 4 July
Round of 32 - Match 87: Group K winners vs Group D/E/I/J/L third place, kick-off 2.30am - Kansas City, US
Round of 16 - Match 90: Match 73 winners vs Match 75 winners, kick-off 6pm - Houston, US
Round of 16 - Match 89: Match 74 winners vs Match 77 winners, kick-off 10pm - Philadelphia, US
Sunday, 5 July
Round of 16 - Match 91: Match 76 winners vs Match 78 winners, kick-off 9pm - New Jersey, US
Monday, 6 July
Round of 16 - Match 92: Match 79 winners vs Match 80 winners, kick-off 1am - Mexico City, Mexico
Round of 16 - Match 93: Match 83 winners vs Match 84 winners, kick-off 8pm - Arlington, US
Tuesday, 7 July
Round of 16 - Match 94: Match 81 winners vs Match 82 winners, kick-off 1am - Seattle, US
Round of 16 - Match 95: Match 86 winners vs Match 88 winners, kick-off 5pm - Atlanta, US
Round of 16 - Match 96: Match 85 winners vs Match 87 winners, kick-off 9pm - Vancouver, Canada
Thursday, 9 July
Quarter-final - Match 97: Match 89 winners vs Match 90 winners, kick-off 9pm - Foxborough, US
Friday, 10 July
Quarter-final - Match 98: Match 93 winners vs Match 94 winners, kick-off 8pm - Los Angeles, US
Saturday, 11 July
Quarter-final - Match 99: Match 91 winners vs Match 92 winners, kick-off 10pm - Miami, US
Sunday, 12 July
Quarter-final - Match 100: Match 95 winners vs Match 96 winners, kick-off 2am - Kansas City, US
Tuesday, 14 July
Semi-final - Match 101: Match 97 winners vs Match 98 winners, kick-off 8pm - Arlington, US
Wednesday, 15 July
Semi-final - Match 102: Match 99 winners vs Match 100 winners, kick-off 8pm - Atlanta, US
Saturday, 18 July
Third Place Playoff - Match 103: Match 101 losers vs Match 102 losers, kick-off 10pm - Miami, US
Sunday, 19 July
Final - Match 104: Match 101 winners vs Match 102 winners, kick-off 8pm - New Jersey, US
Topics: World Cup, Harry Kane, Sport
James Moorhouse