England coach Thomas Tuchel has criticized FIFA after the opening match against Croatia at the 2026 World Cup for spoiling one of the most special moments of his coaching career.
The English national team began its World Cup campaign with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Croatia, but Tuchel attracted attention after the match by criticizing FIFA for having dozens of photographers positioned in front of the substitutes' bench during the national anthem.
The German coach said: "I beg FIFA to change the location of the photographers during the anthem. I had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and it was very special for me, but I found myself standing in front of a wall of about 50 photographers just half a meter away."
He added: "I couldn't see a single player from my team during the anthem, and that spoiled the experience a bit for me."
The tournament saw the implementation of a new FIFA protocol requiring players to line up around the center circle during the playing of national anthems, which caused photographers to gather in large numbers near the technical area to get distinctive shots, which angered Tuchel.
The 52-year-old coach had previously stated that he would not participate in singing the English national anthem unless the "Three Lions" reached the final, but he was looking forward to enjoying watching his players in that symbolic moment before the start of his first World Cup match as head coach of England.
