Pep Guardiola ‘had verbal agreement’ to become England boss as Thomas Tuchel exit clauses revealed

Open menu

OneFootball's home page

Settings

The Independent

17 July 2026

Pep Guardiola

had a “verbal agreement” to become

England

boss before

Thomas Tuchel

was appointed and may still be interested in the role.

Questions have been raised over Tuchel’s future after

England’s bitterly disappointing World Cup exit

at the hands of Argentina in the semi-final, with many

criticising the German’s tactics

in a game that saw the

Three Lions

succumb to a late comeback after leading.

There are calls for Tuchel to be sacked by the

with many pointing to Guardiola, fresh off leaving

Manchester City

at the end of last season, as a dream replacement.

Guardiola is someone that the FA has previously shown an active interest in, with

The Athletic

claiming that the Catalan actually had agreed to succeed Gareth Southgate before deciding to extend his stay at City.

open image in gallery

Pep Guardiola is available after leaving Manchester City (PA Wire)

This led to

turning their interests to Tuchel, who was subsequently appointed in January 2025.

Guardiola is now a free agent and would “presumably” still be interested in the

post having previously agreed to take it on.

However, it is highly unlikely that the FA is going to part ways with Tuchel after England’s run to the semi-final, with its commitment to the German being reaffirmed after the defeat on Wednesday.

There were clauses in his contract under which both parties could have agreed to his exit, though these would have only been activated if

had been knocked out of the

World Cup

before the quarter-finals.

It is highly unlikely Thomas Tuchel will be sacked by the FA (Getty)

A further exemption was added to this when it became apparent that

would likely face Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in the last-16, which Tuchel’s side went on to win 3-2.

The fact

reached the last-four for only the fourth time in their history, though, means these clauses have not been triggered and Tuchel looks set to remain in his job after the procedural post-tournament FA review.

The FA has been committed to keeping hold of Tuchel as their long-term manager, handing him a contract extension earlier in the year to ensure he remains in charge for Euro 2028.

And Tuchel has likewise been happy in the job, rebuffing an approach from Manchester United in January who made checks following the sacking of Ruben Amorim.

He faces the tough challenge of rallying the troops for

England’s third-place play-off against France

on Saturday, with the fan reaction to the German yet to be seen.

Who is England vs France referee? Familiar face to take charge of World Cup bronze final

Evening Standard

Frustration over Kobbie Mainoo's unclear role in England's World Cup squad

caughtoffside

Five England players who deserve to play against France in World Cup bronze final

Why Bangladesh erupted at Argentina’s win over England and will be celebrating all the way to the final

France vs England prediction: 2026 World Cup betting tips and odds

Predicting which clubs the summer's biggest free agents will sign for

There are still some massive names who are set to become free agents in the summer, with some high-profile deals due to expire at the end of next month.As speculation...

Tottenham: Why James Maddison was not awarded a penalty against Leeds as Premier League issue statement

Spurs midfielder denied a big moment on his return from injuryThe Premier League has explained why Tottenham were not awarded a penalty in their draw against Leeds.As the clock ticked...

Bento's howler delays CR7's first title in Saudi Arabia 😱

An ugly mistake by Brazilian goalkeeper Bento prevented Al-Nassr from winning the Saudi League title this Tuesday.Cristiano Ronaldo’s team was leading 1-0 until the 53rd minute of the second half,...