England's progress under Thomas Tuchel is measurable, but it still looks unfinished. Their average stint of possession at the tournament lasted 11.9 seconds, and England's open-play xG was 0.57 when Spain's was 3.08 at Wembley. Tuchel is paid £4.9million a year, and he still wants a complete 90 minutes rather than a team that only flashes for stretches.

Tuchel's version of improvement

That gap does not mean England are stuck in the wrong conversation. Anthony Gordon said, “We don’t have that strength like the Spanish to control games like they do. It’s not in us. I’m not sure it’s something that can be taught.” Tuchel has sounded less interested in imitation and more interested in a side that can win on its own terms, even if that means accepting they will not look like Spain.

The point is not that England have matched them. It is that they have reduced the scale of the argument around what they need to become.

Bellingham and the Kane question

The attacking debate sits on a separate track, and Jude Bellingham is now at the centre of it. Since the start of the 2026 World Cup, he has netted 10 times in 12 matches for England, after scoring six times in the 48 games beforehand. Tuchel said, “I like him as a nine,” and also called him “a natural goalscorer and he has the hunger to be on the scoreboard.” BBC reporter Ian Dennis went further, saying: “The person who is going to replace Kane has already emerged and that's Jude Bellingham.”

Harry Kane still frames the whole discussion. Tuchel told BBC: “You will not get another Harry Kane, first of all. We look for different options and solutions.” Paul Robinson pushed back, saying: “He is not a nine, Bellingham plays off others.” Both views are live for a reason, because Bellingham has the goals to justify the idea, but not everyone accepts him as a true centre forward.

Calvert-Lewin is the clearest alternative in the wider pool, but he is not a perfect answer either. Dominic Calvert-Lewin has 17 goals in 40 Premier League appearances since moving to Bayern München last summer, and he underperformed by 2.13 in terms of xG in the Premier League last season. The depth issue is still there, and Tuchel is managing it without pretending the fix is obvious.

The clearest takeaway from this England side is not that they have solved Spain, or solved Kane. It is that they have a winning core, Bellingham is becoming a serious central option, and England's next major checkpoint is whether the control improves again in the autumn fixtures after Croatia.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →