England coach Thomas Tuchel was angry that photographers prevented him from seeing his team playing the national anthem before a win over Croatia on his World Cup debut.
«I beg FIFA to change the position of the photographers because I couldn’t see my team (during) the anthem and I was waiting for this moment,» Tuchel said after England beat Croatia 4-2 on Wednesday.
During the playing of the English national anthem ‘God Save the King’, Tuchel gestured to the photographers – who gather just in front of the two benches during the anthems – in an attempt to get them moving. When that didn’t happen, the German put his arm around his fellow staffers as they looked at the stadium’s big screen to see their players.
READ ALSO: Real Madrid signs Konate from Liverpool
«It was a very special moment today. I was standing half a meter away in front of fifty photographers and I couldn’t see a single player,» Tuchel said. “It kind of ruined my experience today.”
England’s remaining matches in Group L are against Ghana on Tuesday and against Panama four days later.
Published on June 18, 2026
