England 1-2 Argentina: Damning World Cup stat shows state of Three Lions' record as Thomas Tuchel gets it wrong

England's 2-1 defeat to Argentina on Wednesday was the seventh time in a row they have been eliminated from the World Cup by a nation ranked in FIFA's top 10.

The Three Lions had the opportunity to make history and reach their second ever World Cup final, but they fell to old rivals Argentina.

Thomas Tuchel's side started brightly, and they were the better team for prolonged periods, though the Argentinians dominated after Anthony Gordon's opener in the 55th minute, eventually winning 2-1.

Argentina were the first country that the Three Lions had faced this summer that were ranked in FIFA's top 10, with quarter-final opponents Norway ranked 31st.

England have now been eliminated every time they have faced a top 10-ranked nation in the knockout stages of the World Cup since 1998, a concerning record for a powerhouse of global football.

7 - England have been eliminated every time they have faced a top 10 ranked nation in the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup since 1998 (7/7).

Obstacle. pic.twitter.com/TsO5i5eZR5

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 15, 2026

Thomas Tuchel disaster: What went wrong for England?

Since the turn of the century, there have only been two occasions that a team has scored first in a World Cup semi-final and failed to advance - England against Croatia in 2018 and the Three Lions against Argentina in 2026.

Despite the two World Cup tournaments being eight years apart, there were similar issues in both given England surrendered possession as soon as they took the lead.

Between the 55th and 92nd minutes against Argentina, Tuchel's side only mustered 12% possession, and the head coach had limited his attacking options in order to defend his team's narrow lead by taking off the likes of Reece James and switching to a back five.

The England boss took a defensive squad with him to North America, leaving talents such as Adam Wharton and Trent Alexander-Arnold at home, and he may look back on those decisions with regret.

© Imago / APL

Thomas Tuchel future: The same mistakes as Southgate?

While questions will naturally be asked of Tuchel given his poor tactical performance, it is important to remember that he reached the same stage of the competition as previous boss Gareth Southgate did in 2018.

However, the 52-year-old was brought into the dugout to succeed where his predecessor had failed, and to see him fall victim to the same mistakes was alarming.

Tuchel boasts a far more accomplished career compared to Southgate overall, but he cannot be surprised if some supporters argue he should be replaced.