Lee Carsley says England “have all the tools” to win the World Cup in 2026, as he prepares to hand the team over to Thomas Tuchel. Carsley hopes to debrief with Tuchel before the new England manager formally takes over on January 1,

Lee Carsley’s interim spell as England manager ended with a 5-0 win over the Republic of Ireland to earn Nations League promotion back to League A. Carsley, who was given a six-game brief following the departure of Gareth Southgate, will now hand the keys to Thomas Tuchel, who begins his new role in January.

Carsley has helped to usher in a new generation, handing debuts to six players in Angel Gomes, Morgan Gibbs-White, Noni Madueke, Curtis Jones, Lewis Hall and Morgan Rogers; restoring Dominic Solanke to the squad after a seven-year absence; and turning Rico Lewis and Anthony Gordon into regulars after their bit-part roles under Southgate.

Lee Carsley has insisted that he “definitely didn’t drop” Harry Kane, and reiterated that England’s captain will return to the starting line-up against the Republic of Ireland on Sunday. Carsley made the brave decision to play Ollie Watkins ahead of Kane for Thursday night’s 3-0 win in Greece,

Departing England interim head coach Lee Carsley says England can win the 2026 World Cup; We are in a good position to do that. I think we have the talent to do it. We have got all of the tools. We just need to play them in the [right] order,

England have evolved during Nations League campaign and Lee Carsley has laid plenty of groundwork for Thomas Tuchel on the road to winning the World Cup in 2026

Tuchel, the former Chelsea manager, will assume his role on January 1, tasked with guiding England to World Cup triumph in 2026. Tuchel has won plenty in his managerial career so far, including the Champions League during his tenure at Chelsea, and he will inherit one of England’s most gifted generations.

The 5-0 loss sends the Republic of Ireland into the relegation play-offs, while England have returned to League A - with teams including France, Spain and Italy.

Victory at the World Cup is the target and England have the talent - can the incoming manager align them to do so?

Incoming England manager Thomas Tuchel has all the tools he needs to win the 2026 World Cup but finding the right balance for the team will be key, interim coach Lee Carsley said.