Guardiola's Future as England Manager in Question After World Cup Heartbreak
Pep Guardiola once shook hands on a future as England manager. Now, as the inquest into another World Cup heartbreak gathers pace, his name is back on the lips of those demanding change.
According to The Athletic, the FA had a verbal agreement in place for Guardiola to succeed Gareth Southgate, only for the Catalan to reverse course and extend his stay at Manchester City. That decision sent England down a different path, one that led to Thomas Tuchel’s appointment in January 2025.
Now, after Argentina shattered English hopes in a semi-final collapse, that path is being questioned all over again.
Tuchel under fire after semi-final collapse
England led in their World Cup semi-final, then watched Argentina turn the game on its head late on. The manner of the defeat has cut deep. Criticism of Tuchel’s tactics has been fierce, with the German accused of allowing control to slip just when composure was needed most.
The reaction has been predictable and loud. Calls for Tuchel to be sacked have grown since the final whistle, with Guardiola immediately framed as the dream alternative. He left Manchester City at the end of last season and is now a free agent. Having previously agreed in principle to take the England job, he would “presumably” still be open to it.
On paper, the timing looks perfect. In reality, the situation is far more rigid.
Contract clauses that never came into play
Tuchel’s future is not simply a matter of public mood. When he signed on, his deal included specific exit clauses that allowed either side to walk away if England fell short at this World Cup.
Those clauses were clear: an early departure was only on the table if England were knocked out before the quarter-finals. At one stage, that looked a real risk. The last-16 draw against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca loomed large enough for an extra exemption to be written in, covering the possibility of an upset there.
Tuchel’s side survived that test, edging a wild 3-2 win in Mexico City. From that point, the safety net for a clean contractual break effectively disappeared. By steering England to the last four – only the fourth World Cup semi-final in the nation’s history – Tuchel crossed the threshold that protected his position.
The clauses stayed in the drawer. So, for now, does any prospect of Guardiola.
FA stands by its man
Inside the FA, the mood is calmer than on the outside. Despite the anguish of another near miss, senior figures have already moved to reaffirm their commitment to Tuchel after the defeat on Wednesday. The semi-final run is being viewed as progress, not failure.
That stance is backed by paperwork as much as principle. Earlier this year, the FA handed Tuchel a contract extension designed to keep him in charge through Euro 2028, underlining a long-term vision built around him rather than a stop-gap solution.
Tuchel, for his part, has shown no sign of restlessness. In January, Manchester United sounded him out after sacking Ruben Amorim. Tuchel turned them away, a clear signal that he sees his future – at least for now – with England.
So the FA has a manager it trusts, on a long contract, who has just delivered a World Cup semi-final and has already rejected a major club job to stay. That is the reality Guardiola would be walking into.
Guardiola waits, England stays the course
Guardiola’s shadow still hangs over the story. The knowledge that England once had him within touching distance, only to see him choose City again, adds a tantalising “what if” to the current debate. Now he is unattached, that old storyline has roared back to life.
But sentiment does not tear up contracts. Nor does it override a governing body that believes it has the right man in place and a home European Championship on the horizon.
For now, Tuchel remains England’s manager, heading into a post-tournament review that is expected to be procedural rather than explosive. Guardiola, the almost-England boss, waits on the outside.
The question is no longer whether he wants the job. It’s whether England will ever be willing to break their own plan to give it to him.
