Thomas Tuchel has been appointed as the new England manager.
The 51-year-old is set to succeed Gareth Southgate after his eight-year tenure as Three Lions boss. Tuchel will begin in his post in January, tasked with leading England through the qualification period for the 2025 FIFA World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
Interim boss Lee Carsley will continue in his position until the end of the current UEFA Nations League group stage, before stepping back down and returning to work with the Under-21s.
When will Thomas Tuchel's first game as England manager be?
Tuchel's first game in charge of England will not be until March 2025, but his opening opponent is yet to be determined.
That's because the Three Lions still have to wrap up their UEFA Nations League campaign, in which Carsley is set to oversee, with games against away to Greece and at home to Republic of Ireland to come next month.
Tuchel's first two games will be World Cup 2026 qualifiers, but of course, England does not know yet who, when or where they will play these encounters exactly.
Although a date has not yet been confirmed, there is a consensus that the draw for the qualifying groups will take place in either November or December this year.
Tuchel's England will be drawn into one of 12 groups consisting of either four or five international teams.
Each of the 12 group winners will qualify for the 2026 World Cup, while the second-place finishers will have to endure the play-offs. 16 UEFA members will qualify in total for the 2026 tournament.
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In FourFourTwo's view, the FA's appointment of Tuchel makes perfect sense in ensuring a positive step forward for the direction of the national team.
Although Southgate enjoyed some level of success as a manager, the Three Lions needed their next boss to be a winner and having done so in the UEFA Champions League, as well as domestically in both France and Germany, it feels like a natural progression with the German.
What has Thomas Tuchel said after becoming England manager?
Speaking the TheFA.com following his appointment, Tuchel shared his joy after being selected as England's next permanent manager.
“I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team," he began. "I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already.
"To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting.“Working closely with Anthony as my assistant coach, we will do everything we can to make England successful and the supporters proud.
"I want to thank the FA, in particular Mark and John, for their trust and I am looking forward to starting our journey together.”
