Thomas Tuchel explains why he benched Bukayo Saka despite his hat-trick at the 2026 World Cup.

The dramatic 6-4 victory over France in the 2026 World Cup bronze medal match not only brought glory to the "Three Lions" but also sparked heated debates about Thomas Tuchel's personnel choices. The central figure in this debate was Bukayo Saka, who had just scored a brilliant hat-trick but was completely absent from the crucial semi-final match.

The late rise of the Arsenal star

Despite being expected to be a key player in England's attack, Bukayo Saka's journey at the 2026 World Cup has been quite bumpy. He only started in the final group stage match against Panama. After that, the striker was again sidelined for the clash against the Republic of Congo before making an impressive return with an assist that helped his team beat Mexico 3-2.

The peak of skepticism was directed at Thomas Tuchel when he decided not to use Saka for a single minute in the bitter defeat against Argentina in the semi-finals. However, as soon as he was given the opportunity to start in the third-place match against France, Saka immediately proved the coaching staff wrong with three superb goals, directly securing the bronze medal for the English team.

Thomas Tuchel's explanation for the decision in the semi-final.

Speaking to BBC Sport after the win against France, the German strategist candidly shared his thoughts on the decision to leave Saka out of the previous match. According to Tuchel, this was purely a tactical and intuitive choice.

"He did everything perfectly. In the semi-final, I had a feeling Morgan Rogers would create something special, that's all."Tuchel explained. He also emphasized that the intensity of top-level matches forces coaching staff to be extremely careful about substitutions, especially since players often suffer from cramps and fatigue due to the high tempo of the game.

Coach Tuchel affirmed:"Bukayo has shown that he is a key player. There has never been any doubt about his talent."

The historical achievements and future of the "Three Lions"

Finishing third past France was England's best performance at a World Cup since their 1966 victory. This result is considered a significant milestone in their efforts to close the gap with the world's leading football powers.

Despite the mixed reactions regarding his tactical approach, Thomas Tuchel insists that his players' fighting spirit is the greatest motivation for him to continue with the team. The next goal for the manager and his players will be the Nations League, where England hopes to maintain the explosive form they showed against former champions France.