England’s right-hand side is the reason Thomas Tuchel cannot name an unchanged team for the World Cup semi-final against Argentina. This is the real bit now. England’s run has been favourable — Mexico at the Azteca was a genuine test, but they have not yet faced a side that is objectively better than them. Argentina are. The reigning champions, led by Lionel Messi, punish exactly the kind of structural looseness England have carried through the knockout rounds, and Reece James and Bukayo Saka are the two players caught in the middle of it.
Why England’s right-hand side has to change
The right flank is where England leak. Reece James has been repeatedly exposed in behind during the knockouts, and Bukayo Saka has not come close to the output that made him England’s most reliable wide attacker of the past three years. Against an Argentina side happy to concede possession and strike in transition, that is precisely the channel that needs locking down.
The two changes are easy to describe and hard to make: a more defensively disciplined right-back to cover Messi’s drift infield, and a right winger who will actually track back rather than stay pinned high. Neither move makes the highlight reel. Both make the final more likely.
Dropping Saka for a game of this size is a genuine gamble. Tuchel would be giving up his best one-v-one threat in exchange for structure — but structure is the thing that has been missing, and Tuchel has never been a manager who protects reputations over shape.
Argentina have not played well — and that is the problem
The Albiceleste have relied on experience and game management rather than dominant football at this World Cup, much like England. That should not be reassuring. A reigning champion grinding out results without hitting its ceiling is a side with room to raise its level in the exact game where it matters most.
Messi remains the reference point. Even now, he pulls two or three defenders towards him and creates space for others by simply existing in a pocket. The single biggest decision on Tuchel’s board is whether to defend Messi zonally or man-for-man — and that decision dictates who plays right-back.
How England should line up
The spine stays. England’s centre-backs and midfield have been the most consistent part of the tournament and there is no case for touching them. Every adjustment belongs on the right: two changes, not a rebuild.
The trade-off is deliberate. England sacrifice a slice of attacking threat to deny Argentina the one lane where they can genuinely hurt them. Get it right and Tuchel takes England to a World Cup final. Get it wrong and it becomes the most scrutinised team sheet of his career.
What a final would look like for England
Win this and England reach a World Cup final for the first time since 1966 — a sentence that carries its own weight and its own pressure. The opponent would come from the other half of the draw, where the tournament’s more expansive sides have been gathering.
That is the longer-term argument for fixing the right side now rather than hoping it holds. A weakness Argentina can find in a semi-final is a weakness anyone can find in a final. Tuchel has one game to solve it before the whole world is looking at it.
FAQ
When is England vs Argentina in the World Cup 2026?
England face Argentina in the semi-final stage of the 2026 World Cup. Check the official FIFA schedule for the confirmed kick-off time in UK time.
What two changes should Tuchel make?
According to Goal.com, Thomas Tuchel should consider a whole new right-hand side: replacing Reece James with a more defensively secure right-back, and reconsidering Bukayo Saka’s place given his drop in attacking output.
Why is England’s right side such a weakness?
England have been consistently exposed in behind on the right during the knockout rounds. Argentina defend deep and attack in transition, which makes that specific channel the most likely place for England to be punished.
Is Lionel Messi still Argentina’s key player?
Yes. Messi remains Argentina’s reference point in attack. Even in a tournament where the reigning champions have not played well, he draws multiple defenders and creates space for teammates.
Who are the favourites for the semi-final?
Argentina carry the status of reigning world champions, but neither side has been convincing in this tournament. The tie is likely to be decided on fine margins — chiefly whether England can protect their right flank.
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