Rooney Backs Tuchel's Winning Mentality to Push England Over the Line

England legend Wayne Rooney has expressed confidence that new manager Thomas Tuchel's proven track record as a winner will make the crucial difference for England as they prepare for the 2026 World Cup.

Rooney, speaking to the Press Association, highlighted the importance of Tuchel's trophy-winning experience, particularly when reaching the latter stages of major tournaments.

"Thomas Tuchel's come in and looks like he's doing a really good job," Rooney said. "I've worked with Gareth briefly with England, I've never worked with Tuchel. But I think the difference is Tuchel is a winner, he's won big trophies before."

Tuchel took over as England's permanent manager last year following Gareth Southgate's departure. Southgate led England to two European Championship finals and reached the semi-finals and quarter-finals at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively, but ultimately fell short of bringing home major silverware.

Immediate Impact Under Tuchel

The German manager has made an impressive start to his England tenure, guiding the team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup without conceding a single goal in their qualification group. England became the first European team to secure their place at the tournament.

Tuchel's credentials include a Champions League triumph with Chelsea, along with domestic successes in Germany and England, which Rooney believes will be invaluable.

"Over the last few years they've done really well in the competitions and just fell short," Rooney acknowledged. "Sometimes, when you get to a certain stage of competitions, that experience really does help. Hopefully, he can take us to that next level."

World Cup Expectations

England will head to the 2026 World Cup as one of the tournament favourites, and Rooney has set his sights on a semi-final appearance at minimum.

"I hope England get to the last four. If they get to the last four, then anything can happen," the former Manchester United star said. "With the experience of Tuchel and some of the players in the squad who have been there before, it will hopefully help us get over the line."

England's preparations continue with upcoming friendlies against Uruguay on Friday and Japan next week as Tuchel fine-tunes his squad ahead of the World Cup campaign.