Lionel Scaloni's team will seek to reach their second consecutive World Cup final and, at the same time, prevent the German coach of the Three Lions from breaking a historic streak
The semifinal between Argentina and Englandin the 2026 World Cup will not only be for a place in the final but will also pit the team of Lionel Scaloni against a historic mark that has remained intact since the first World Cup. Thomas Tuchel, the German coach of the English team, will try to become the first foreign coach to win the top national team tournament.
The former coach of Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain, among others, has taken on the challenge of bringing England back to a World Cup final, something they haven't achieved since 1966, when they won their only title in history. However, besides the collective goal, the German is pursuing this milestone that no coach has achieved since 1930. To accomplish this, he must first overcome Argentina in the semifinals and then prevail in a potential final against Spain or France. If he completes this journey, he would break a streak that has lasted nearly a century.
Tuchel could become the first foreign coach to win a World Cup
Throughout history, there have been few coaches born in a different country than the one they managed who have reached a World Cup final. One of the most remembered cases was that of the English George Raynor, who led Sweden to the decisive match of their World Cup in1958. Two decades later, the Austrian Ernst Happel took the Netherlands to the final of Argentina 1978, where they fell precisely to the albiceleste team.
Another precedent is that of Zlatko Dalić, runner-up with Croatia in Russia 2018. Although he was born in present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina, he holds Croatian nationality, so his case is often considered an exception according to the criteria used to establish the status of a foreign coach.
Now, Tuchel has the opportunity to write an unprecedented page in World Cup history. However, first he must overcome a massive obstacle: an Argentine National Team that will seek to play in their second final and, at the same time, prevent the German coach from breaking one of the longest-standing statistics in international football.
