England manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that the national team will continue to use the penalty shootout preparation methods introduced by former boss Gareth Southgate during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
England face Democratic Republic of the Congo in their first knockout match on Wednesday in Atlanta, with the possibility of the contest being decided by penalties.
Before Southgate took charge in 2016, England had one of the poorest records in international football when it came to penalty shootouts, winning only one of seven attempts. Under Southgate’s leadership, however, England won three of their four shootouts thanks to an approach built around detailed preparation and the belief that penalties are not simply a matter of luck.
Tuchel said the Football Association’s programme remains in place and that his coaching staff are fully committed to following it.
“The FA has a programme that has been in place for years and we follow the programme,” Tuchel said. “We are prepared. We have a process, the players have a process.”
The German coach admitted that a painful personal experience taught him the importance of planning for penalty shootouts. In 2016, while managing Borussia Dortmund, he failed to prepare for the possibility of penalties in the German Cup final against Bayern Munich.
Bayern eventually won 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw, forcing Tuchel to decide his penalty takers during the brief period between extra time and the shootout.
“It was a very painful experience and a big scar on me because I felt I had let myself down,” Tuchel said. “It will never happen again.”
Despite the extensive preparations, Tuchel acknowledged that the pressure of a real shootout can never be perfectly recreated in training.
He recalled comments made by former France striker Thierry Henry, who once admitted he could not remember the walk from the halfway line to the penalty spot during his first shootout for France.
“You cannot train that,” Tuchel said, although he confirmed he already knows the order of England’s penalty takers should the match against DR Congo require it.
Southgate’s methods involved regular penalty practice sessions designed to replicate real-match conditions and make the process feel automatic through repetition. Penalty takers were selected well in advance, and players were paired with teammates who would meet them at the halfway line after taking their spot kicks to help ease the psychological pressure.
Former England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford also famously carried detailed notes on opponents’ penalty tendencies on his water bottle during shootouts.
Tuchel also reflected on the mental challenges of international football, admitting that even experienced coaches question themselves after disappointing performances.
He revealed that following England’s uninspiring 1-0 victory over New Zealand in a World Cup warm-up match, he found himself wondering whether he had made the right decisions.
“We all have our losses and our defeats where you doubt yourself,” he said. “It’s just normal, but you accept it.”
England progressed to the knockout stage after topping Group L with victories over Croatia and Panama, alongside a goalless draw against Ghana.
Tuchel believes stronger opponents could bring out better performances from his team as the tournament enters its decisive stages.
“This is not the moment to shine and expect glamorous performances,” he said. “This is the moment to get the job done, step up and show individual quality in key moments.”
With a place in the quarter-finals at stake, England will hope that Southgate’s carefully crafted penalty blueprint remains unnecessary against DR Congo—but if it is needed, Tuchel insists his team is fully prepared.
