Thomas Tuchel yells fiery five-word remark as Jordan Pickford ‘bites back’ at England boss

Thomas Tuchel was far from happy during England’s opening World Cup 2026 fixture against Croatia, delivering a fierce message to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford

England manager Thomas Tuchel was involved in a heated exchange with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford during the first half of their World Cup opener against Croatia.

Despite the chaotic 45 minutes, which saw four goals, a retaken penalty, and VAR controversy, Tuchel found time to issue stern instructions to his number one and is said to have shouted at his No. 1 ‘do as I told you’. Tuchel’s frustration with Pickford’s distribution was evident as early as the 17th minute, with England leading 1-0. The Three Lions boss berated Pickford for failing to follow his instructions after the keeper played out from the back in the wrong direction.

Pickford appeared to suggest he was off-balance, but this explanation did little to satisfy Tuchel. FOX sideline reporter Geoff Shreeves, who witnessed the incident, said: “Just now Jordan Pickford was on his left side and off balance and still picked up. Thomas Tuchel was straight out to the touchline and said ‘no, put it out to the right back, you don’t go that side’.

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“Pickford had a little go back and Tuchel was not impressed. He told him ‘you know what you’re supposed to do, do as I told you.”

Tuchel would have been less than pleased to see his goalkeeper let in two goals before the half-time whistle, the first a curled shot from Martin Baturina on the edge of the box, followed by Peter Musa’s tidy finish after a smart header back from Ivan Perisic.

Given the rollercoaster nature of the first 45 minutes, Pickford wouldn’t have been the only player Tuchel had a word with. The Three Lions started off on the back foot but seemed to find their rhythm when Harry Kane broke the deadlock.

The England captain was fortunate to do so, as he missed his initial penalty attempt with a stutter step, only for Dominik Livakovic to read it right and make the save. However, Kane got a second chance as Livakovic was judged to have moved off his line before the striker took the penalty, while Josko Gvardiol was also penalised for encroachment.

The former Tottenham Hotspur star didn’t falter with his second penalty, dropping the previous run-up and finding the far corner. Croatia managed to level the score with a superb goal from Baturina, but Kane put England back in front with a stunning header.

The 2022 World Cup third-placed country equalised once more through Peter Musa, much to Tuchel’s frustration. During the half-time break, Tuchel’s assistant manager, Anthony Barry, gave a stern interview to ITV where he criticised the team’s decision-making.

He encapsulated Tuchel’s exasperation with Pickford and other England players, stating: “We were going short when we should be going long and going long when we should be going short.”

Yet, England turned the tables in the second half, dazzling Croatia as Jude Bellingham reclaimed the lead for Tuchel’s squad. Marcus Rashford, off the bench, then netted a fourth goal, marking a significant statement from the Three Lions.

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