United States President Donald Trump has weighed in on England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, questioning the tactical use of captain Harry Kane during the second half of the match.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has come under heavy scrutiny following the 2-1 loss, with critics highlighting his defensive approach after Anthony Gordon had given the Three Lions the lead.
Tuchel opted to switch to a back five and introduced defensive-minded substitutions, a move that coincided with Argentina’s late resurgence, inspired by Lionel Messi, who led the comeback with two decisive assists.
Speaking on the matter, Trump expressed surprise at Kane’s deeper role, suggesting England may have erred tactically. He praised the striker’s quality but questioned the decision to deploy him defensively, stating that such a move reduced England’s attacking threat at a crucial stage of the game.
”You have a great player in England who I’ve played golf with. And he is Harry [Kane] who has been fantastic,” said Trump.
“I think they perhaps made a mistake when they made him a defensive player. What do I know about soccer? They took the lead, and they took their best player and put him on defence.
“We got to be a little offensive, right. But no, I’m not going to call it, what do I know about coaching? But that was a little unusual.”
Tuchel, however, dismissed the criticism in sharp fashion when asked about Trump’s comments, defending his decisions and pushing back on external opinions. The England manager snapped: “Do you use Donald Trump as your witness for the case?”
The incident adds to a broader narrative of scrutiny surrounding the German coach’s tactical choices. According to reports, several number of key players had openly expressed their disappoint at how England were instructed to finish the game having taken the lead through Anthony Gordon.
For Donald Trump, this won’t be the first time the American president has spoken about issues in the World Cup game.
He had personally called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to demand a review of U.S. striker Folarin Balogun’s controversial red card against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32. Trump heavily criticized the referee’s initial decision and stated he asked FIFA boss for review of Balogun red card and that was the reason FIFA acted to suspend the one-match ban.
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