Tuchel credits Henderson for England's historic World Cup bronze

Thomas Tuchel said England, the Three Lions, can be proud of the bronze medal they earned at the World Cup, highlighting the pivotal role of Jordan Henderson after the side’s spectacular 6‑4 victory over France in the tournament’s third‑place match that secured third place on Saturday.

England secured third place on Saturday, marking the nation’s best World Cup performance since 1966. The achievement ended a six‑decade wait for a World Cup medal.

Tuchel recalled that yesterday’s press conference felt as if England had been eliminated in the group stage without a win. Twenty‑four hours later the team achieved its biggest success in sixty years.

He added that the negative sentiment and drama following the Argentina match were exaggerated. Tuchel argued that the best response is to win the next match on the field, not through talk.

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"The best you can do is respond on the field and win the next match. Talk gets you no points and you don’t win games," Tuchel said, adding that the squad showed the impressive reaction they had hoped for.

observed that this is England’s first World Cup medal in 60 years and the first earned abroad, and that the players can eventually be proud of it. It also warned that missing the final will leave a lingering pain.

Although sidelined by an arm injury, Henderson delivered a speech that put the team in the right mindset. Tuchel described the moment as incredible on a very emotional day, with everyone aligned.

Tuchel said the past seven weeks have built something special and that England is narrowing the gap with football powerhouses such as France, Argentina and Spain.