When Thomas Tuchel was appointed England manager in 2024, his initial remit was to win the World Cup. His original contract was set to expire at the end of the 2026 tournament. The FA has now extended his deal through Euro 2028, but the new contract contains performance-based conditions.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham revealed the performance clauses in a news conference at England's World Cup media centre in Kansas City: 'There's performance clauses in every single contract at the FA, but I'm not going into any detail of what they are.' Bullingham stated that the FA can enforce the contract and holds the option to keep Tuchel regardless of any break clause he might request.
Bullingham defended the decision to extend Tuchel's contract before the World Cup concluded, arguing that the governing body could not expect a top-level manager to remain in uncertainty about his future. He said: 'The reality is he's a top-level manager who would be in demand and we knew we had someone who was doing a really good job and we can't just expect someone to wait around.'
England begins World Cup play on June 17 (Wednesday) against Croatia in Arlington, Texas, at 21:00 BST, with Tuchel's performance in the tournament subject to assessment against his contract conditions.
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