New England manager Thomas Tuchel has been given a clear directive by the Football Association (FA) to lead the national team to victory in the 2026 World Cup.
England, who only major international victory came in 1966, has suffered near-misses in recent years, including consecutive European Championship final defeats.
The FA believes that with Tuchel's expertise and Barry's support, England has the potential to finally add another major trophy to their history. "We wanted to hire a coaching team to give us the best possible chance of winning a major tournament, and we believe they will do just that," said FA CEO Mark Bullingham. "Thomas and the team have a single-minded focus on giving us the best possible chance to win the World Cup in 2026." Tuchel, who departed Bayern Munich after they lost the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen, was a top candidate for the role.
The FA had also considered Manchester City's Pep Guardiola, but Tuchel and Barry, who previously collaborated at Bayern and Chelsea, emerged as preferred choice.