CAN'T TUCH THIS
Thomas Tuchel to SURPASS Southgate at first attempt as supercomputer predicts how England will do at World Cup 2026
Scroll down to see the tournament bracket in full
A SUPERCOMPUTER has predicted how England will get on at the 2026 World Cup under the management of new boss Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel has penned an 18-month contract with the Three Lions that will see him take charge of the nation for the 2026 tournament.
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The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich gaffer will have the hopes of the nation on his back as he looks to go one better than Gareth Southgate's efforts at the Euros last summer.
And he seems pretty calm about that pressure, insisting he "doesn't feel" the weight of expectation - even in the hot-seat for the England national team.
That may be because he's confident that he will be able to build upon the foundations laid by Southgate over the past eight years.
And a World Cup simulation on a supercomputer has the exact same idea, predicting that Tuchel will surpass Southgate's best ever World Cup effort on his first attempt.
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The whizzes behind SimWorldCup have suggested that England will manage a THIRD PLACE finish at the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Their simulation sees Tuchel's men breezing through the group stages and pushing all the way to the semi-final before suffering heartbreak to a familiar foe - Spain.
A 1-0 defeat to the Spaniards in the semi-final would set up a third-place play-off against Uruguay - a match which England are predicted to win 1-0 themselves.
That would be one step better than Southgate managed during his first tournament in the 2018 World Cup.
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ANDY DILLON: Thomas Tuchel has all the ingredients to become a classic England manager – tactical nous, drive and a tangled love life
By Andy Dillon
THOMAS TUCHEL possesses all the ingredients to become a classic England manager.
Tactical nous, drive, energy, experience - a tangled love life.
English football should welcome back the most explosive, dynamic, charismatic and impossibly tall and gangly coach to have lit up the Premier League.
Chelsea’s colourful former boss has been leading a settled life in Munich of late.
Far enough away from ex-wife Sissi but close enough to see his two daughters.
Walking his dog in the streets in the east of Germany’s most fashionable city, residing in the posh Bogenhausen area. Living relatively quietly with his Brazilian girlfriend.
Tuchel is a vastly different personality to the man who led England quietly but assuredly to the brink of World Cups and European Championships.
An excitable nature can make him hard to handle for those seeking calm and who like to impose their way on a manager they view very much as an underling.
Read more on why Tuchel REALLY IS the best man for the England job
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Southgate's brave lions managed to reach the semi-finals in Russia, where they were knocked out by Croatia in extra-time.
But the former England manager didn't manage to get the better of Belgium in the third place play-off, ultimately taking fourth in his debut tournament.
England interviewed ten candidates before appointing Thomas Tuchel, admits FA chief in German's first press conference
Of course, Southgate went on to reach two European Championship finals in 2021 and 2024 as well.
Tuchel appears to have been brought in by the FA with the goal of securing World Cup glory in 2026 and a third place finish may not be enough to get him an extension on his 18-month deal.
However, the supercomputer's prediction did see the German pulling off some impressive victories throughout the tournament.
The Three Lions topped their group with three wins from three over South Korea, Paraguay and South Africa.
While their knockout efforts included wins over Panama, host nation the USA and Belgium.
And Tuchel's men are in line for some attractive football if the simulation is to be correct, as England netted 17 times and conceded just three across the supercomputer's predictions.
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In the remainder of the tournament the supercomputer predicted that Argentina would win their second World Cup on the bounce - defeating Spain 1-0 in the final.
While home nations Wales and Scotland both made it out of their groups before being knocked out in the last-32 to Belgium and France respectively.
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England World Cup 2026 supercomputer predictions
Here's a look at how every England game was predicted by the supercomputer...
Group stage
England 3 Paraguay 0
England 2 South Korea 0
South Africa 0 England 4
Round of 32
England 2 Panama 1
Last 16
USA 0 England 3
Quarter-final
Belgium 1 England 2
Semi-final
Spain 1 England 0
Third place play-off
Uruguay 0 England 1
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