England defender Marc Guehi criticised the team's negative tactical approach after their World Cup exit, as manager Thomas Tuchel came under intense scrutiny following a 1-2 semi-final defeat to Argentina. Tuchel's second-half substitutions have been widely blamed for costing England the match, with prominent pundits and journalists, including Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Jeff Powell, calling for his sacking and describing his tactics as cowardly and disastrous.

Guehi described himself as "gutted" and pointed to England's cautious style as a key factor in the loss, echoing criticism that Tuchel reverted to conservative football reminiscent of past complaints under Gareth Southgate. Analysis suggests England lost control of the match before the substitutions were made, with the changes then compounding the problem, while Jude Bellingham was left visibly distressed and reportedly confronted teammate Jordan Pickford over Argentina's equalising goal. Argentina, inspired by Lionel Messi, progressed to face Spain in the final, with Spain installed as favourites by bookmakers.