Former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh believes Thomas Tuchel made costly tactical mistakes that helped Argentina fight back to beat England 2-1 in their 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final, Footynaija reports.
England looked to be in control after Anthony Gordon gave them the lead in the 55th minute at Atlanta Stadium. Morgan Rogers provided the cross, and Gordon finished neatly past Emiliano Martínez to put Tuchel’s side ahead.
Instead of chasing another goal, England dropped deeper as Tuchel changed to a defensive 5-4-1 formation and brought on defenders Ezri Konsa and Dan Burn. The move allowed Argentina to dominate possession and pin England inside their own half. The pressure increased even more after Declan Rice was substituted in the 83rd minute.
Argentina made England pay almost immediately. Lionel Messi found Enzo Fernández, who fired home from outside the box in the 85th minute. Deep into stoppage time, Lautaro Martínez escaped between John Stones and Konsa to head in the winner from another Messi assist and send the defending champions into the final.
Reacting on X, Oliseh strongly criticised Tuchel’s approach, writing: “One of the worst-managed games in World Cup history. Leading 1-0 with over 25 minutes left, and you park the entire bus inside your own box? Pulling the lone striker deep invited relentless pressure. When you stop playing and only defend, a 2-1 heartbreak is inevitable.”
He later added: “Defending a 1-0 lead at the semifinals is logical. But it is amateurish and shockingly naive to not have the possibility to play out when you eventually have possession.”
England will now face France in the third-place playoff, while Argentina meet Spain in Sunday’s World Cup final. Argentina are chasing a fourth world title and hoping to become the first men’s team since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup, while Spain are aiming to lift the trophy for the second time after their 2010 triumph.
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