By Our Correspondent

National News – United States President Donald Trump has criticised England manager Thomas Tuchel’s tactical decisions during the Three Lions’ 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying captain Harry Kane should not have been deployed in a defensive role after England took the lead.

England had gone ahead through Anthony Gordon before Argentina mounted a late comeback, inspired by Lionel Messi, to secure a place in Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain.

Speaking at Trump Tower on Friday, Trump praised Kane but questioned Tuchel’s second-half approach.

“You have a great player in England who I’ve played golf with. Harry Kane has been fantastic,” Trump said.

“I think they perhaps made a mistake when they made him a defensive player. They took the lead and then moved their best player into defence. You have to stay a little offensive. I’m not a coach, but it was a little unusual.”

Tuchel has come under scrutiny following England’s elimination after switching to a back-five formation and introducing more defensive substitutions in the closing stages of the match. Several England players were reportedly unhappy with the tactical instructions as Argentina scored twice late in the game to complete the comeback.

The England manager has, however, defended his decisions, insisting his tactical approach was appropriate despite the disappointing result.

Trump also commented on FIFA’s decision to suspend the automatic one-match ban imposed on United States striker Folarin Balogun after his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Balogun had initially been set to miss the United States’ Round of 16 clash with Belgium before FIFA suspended the sanction for 12 months.

Speaking jokingly about the controversy, Trump said he considered raising the matter with FIFA President Gianni Infantino but was pleased with how events unfolded.

He also praised Infantino and described the ongoing tournament, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, as one of the most successful sporting events ever organised.

Infantino, in response, said the 2026 FIFA World Cup had exceeded expectations, describing it as a landmark sporting, social and cultural event that had united people across the world.