Thomas Tuchel has sharply criticised the standard of refereeing at the World Cup, labelling it 'erratic' and 'unreliable' after England's dramatic 3-2 victory over Mexico at the Azteca stadium on Sunday night. The German manager, whose side held on with 10 men, claimed that players cannot predict what to expect during matches and warned that poor officiating could knock teams out of the tournament.
Tuchel's outburst after controversial decisions
Tuchel was visibly frustrated from the opening minute, when Declan Rice received a yellow card from Iranian referee Alireza Faghani for a foul. The flashpoint came when Jarell Quansah was sent off following a VAR review for a tackle on Jesús Gallardo. 'It's not good enough,' Tuchel said. 'He [the referee] can send any team out in any moment. It’s just not good enough. It’s just erratic, it’s just unreliable in matches. Now we have two fourth officials who just scream at you if you put one foot out of a coaching zone. It’s just not good enough.'
Impact of VAR and key decisions
England's victory was overshadowed by several contentious calls. Mexico's second goal came from a penalty awarded after a VAR check for a foul by Harry Kane. Tuchel questioned the consistency of officiating, stating, 'What can they do? We give everything and then decisions are overturned in a very questionable way. But it’s not only about the big decisions, the little decisions, the consistency in the decisions. You’re just out there, it’s like almost on the open sea, in front of the court, you don’t know what’s going to happen. They’re just not on the level.'
He added that the game has evolved, with so-called 'underdog' teams playing at the highest level, requiring referees of the same standard. 'You play high level now. The so‑called underdogs, the so‑called little nations, like we played [DR] Congo, they play on the highest level. Cape Verde plays on the highest level. You need highest‑level refereeing. There are only athletes out there. The game has changed massively and it’s just not good enough. It’s just not good enough for the players, for the game.'
Quansah red card and Henderson injury
Quansah will be suspended for the quarter-final against Norway in Miami on Saturday after his dismissal. Tuchel argued that the decision was harsh, saying, 'Do you really think that Harry in this moment thinks ‘Oh, VAR!’? He just goes to the ball and there’s a contact, it’s contact sport. We cannot look at stills and think: ‘Oh, contact, penalty.’ In real life there is a way of how the game flows and how you referee and some referees are like: ‘No, I don’t allow too much contact.’ Some say: ‘No, now it’s an emotional game, I let the contacts go.’ There are contacts. You cannot look at the still and go: ‘There was a leg in between.’ Come on. You don’t even give a foul and then you go to a red card. You don’t give a foul and then you go to penalty.'
The victory came at a cost, with Jordan Henderson ruled out for the rest of the tournament after breaking his wrist during the post-match celebrations. The Brentford midfielder slipped while vaulting an advertising hoarding, stayed in hospital overnight, and requires surgery.
England's belief and path forward
Despite the setbacks, Tuchel expressed optimism about England's prospects. 'It fuels our belief that we are here to stay,' he said. 'We are in a part of a tournament, round of 32, round of 16, where you just need to find a way to stay in the tournament, you need to find a way to win. Then, from the quarter-final, it’s eight teams and everyone can win it. We will stay with the motto, step by step, and game by game. But of course, matches like this, you can only win them with belief, and it will just fuel our belief.'
