Five key questions for Thomas Tuchel and England this international break, from Jordan Pickford to 'DNA'

England claimed a third-place finish at the 2026 World Cup, their best result at the tournament since the Three Lions went all the way in 1966.

However, the nature of some of England's performances, and certainly their late collapse to lose the semifinal against Argentina 2-1 in Atlanta, means there is unlikely to be a rapturous reception for manager Thomas Tuchel when the UEFA Nations League campaign gets underway.

England could not have a tougher task on their return to League A, with freshly minted world champions Spain up first at Wembley on September 26.

That's the first of four matches in the new, elongated first international break of the season, with a trip to face familiar foes Croatia coming in between home and away fixtures against Czechia.

So, how can Tuchel build on England's performances in North America and, perhaps more importantly, what lessons have been learned?

MORE: How cowardly Thomas Tuchel threw away England's World Cup in semifinal collapse

Five key questions for Thomas Tuchel and England

Have the scars of Argentina defeat healed?

Belatedly, Tuchel shouldered responsibility for the Argentina loss when speaking to England's in-house media channel for a tournament documentary.

"You can try to kill me here. But it's my scar, it's not your scar," he said. "I have to live with it. It's not you having to live with this. I'm in charge here and I take these decisions. No-one is more hurt than me, no-one wanted it more. They can endlessly torture you and think: if I had done different substitutions, then we would have won the match. You just don't know it."

It's welcome to see Tuchel taking ownership of the situation, but a man appointed with a reputation as a knockout-football super coach must re-establish his authority. If he can't, the whole mission of him forcing England to take the final step they could not under Gareth Southgate is doomed.

MORE: Why the September and October international breaks were combined for 2026

Can the midfield overcome English DNA?

After the World Cup semifinal surrender, Tuchel hit upon a possible explanation. "I think ball possession plays a crucial role; it's maybe not in our DNA like it is in our Spanish DNA or in our Argentinian-Brazilian DNA, to take the ball and control the game with the ball."

While this handily absolves the coach from direct blame, it's also a point worth considering. England's defeats to technically excellent opponents at major tournaments have followed a maddeningly familiar pattern. They lose control of the ball, can't get it back and are gradually ground into the floor.

Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson are now both fundamental to England's two best club sides. Alex Scott continues to excel at Bournemouth. In the context of Manchester United's latest crisis phase, Kobbie Mainoo is playing really well. He should be more than the decorative object he became at the World Cup. The tools are there and Tuchel must make the DNA argument as spurious in reality as it sounds during a post-match press conference.

Is Jordan Pickford still undisputed No. 1?

Pickford is arguably England's greatest tournament goalkeeper of all time and was integral to the deep runs at World Cups over the past decade and the Three Lions' appearances in the finals of Euro 2020 and Euro 2024. In the first of those, Pickford's penalty shoot-out heroics brought England to the brink of glory.

At the 2026 World Cup, Pickford excelled as 10-man England dug deep to beat Mexico, but he was otherwise a skittish and unsettling presence — more Everton Pickford than England Pickford. James Trafford has a locked-in No. 1 spot at Leeds United and has the chance to push for the England jersey over the next two years. Pickford is safe for now, but Tuchel might consider making the change a good way out from Euro 2028.

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Is there an alternative to Harry Kane?

Kane is firmly in contention for the Ballon d'Or after a superb season for England and Bayern Munich. But his World Cup followed a familiar pattern of being prolific early on before fading down the stretch in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

MORE: Full shortlists for 2026 Ballon d'Or awards

The Three Lions captain remains the first name on the team sheet, but his physical capabilities are unlikely to be any better two summers down the line. The cupboard is bare in terms of outright alternatives. Ollie Watkins has joined Ivan Toney in the Saudi Pro League. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is in fine form for Leeds but is not a long-term solution.

Tuchel flirted with using a false nine during the March international break, with the only tangible outcome being Cole Palmer and Phil Foden playing their way out of the World Cup squad. Kane is still the man most likely to lead England to the promised land, but there needs to be a workable alternative if his legs fail him with a tournament on the line.

How will the World Cup outcasts be reintegrated?

Tuchel's World Cup squad selection was okay until it wasn't. He left several high-quality players behind in the name of selecting players who filled specific roles in the squad. Apparently, very few of those roles were comfortable and natural full-backs, but we digress.

The manager spoke frequently about a "brotherhood", and no one could argue over the bond created when England went to the well to triumph in Mexico City. But there was a talent deficit he need not have had when he looked behind him as the Argentina semifinal ran out of control.

Some of those excluded, most notably Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold, are back in the fold. The Real Madrid man returning is a huge surprise, given Tuchel appeared to have decided he was roughly his seventh-choice full-back.

Tuchel's front six of Rice, Anderson, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Kane pretty much picks itself at the moment. If the egos of other players can't deal with that, it doesn't reflect well on them. But it also reflects poorly on Tuchel's man-management that he decided it was best not to have those conversations around a World Cup. He needs to have them now so that England can call upon more of their best players when required.